Dark Prince Rises
by Ronin2106
Summary: Henry James Potter has been betrayed by his family and Light, having been sent to Azkaban for defeating reborn Tom Riddle and his Basilisk. Two years later, with Voldemort once more living, he is given a chance to avenge himself and punish both the Light and the Dark. Enemies of the Dark Prince beware, for he knows no mercy. Older!Dark!PowerfulHarry. Bashing!Light and Potters.
1. Chapter 1

**Azkaban.**

In the darkest and lowest bowels of the infamous wizarding prison, only the most dangerous, darkest and powerful wizards are incarcerated. It was very rarely used, with even the Death Eaters given the more 'humane' cells. This was the level that was most populated by dementors, their nesting grounds, a level that was entirely inhabited by them. Aurors dared not to even show their face around here, not even with their Patronus charms active, with food and water only served by the hellish guards themselves.

To be locked up here meant that you were condemned to die screaming and in mental agony, denied even the smallest glimpses of light and hope. Since Magical Britain, thanks to Albus Dumbledore, had outlawed death penalty, this was the alternative, to be locked up in pretty much Hell on earth, repenting for the rest of your life.

This was a cruel, twisted and absolutely terrifying alternative, created by 'The Leader of Light' solely to satisfy his sick sense of justice and mercy. To which the sole occupant of this place would've long preferred quick and painless death by Avada Kedavra. Instead of that, he was sent here, enduring near endless sorrow, misery, despair and absolute lack of hope, as dementors relished in feeding of him.

For over two years, the young man known as Henry James Potter, had endured the living hell, having been sent here for the crimes and wrongdoings which he helped to stop. Instead of being praised and awarded for essentially saving his school from a Basilisk, created by Salazar Slytherin himself, he was incarcerated and shipped off here by the very people that should've stood by his side: his parents, godfather, teachers, friends and, especially, his damned younger brother, William Fleamont Potter, The Boy-Who-Lived.

Oh how he had loathed this damned title, but even more so, he loathed and even hated his parents and their friends, basking in all the glory of the vanquisher of Voldemort, whilst he was left out in the shadows and darkness. His parents, a term that Henry had used with absolute disgust, had long made it clear that he, their eldest son, wasn't a wanted child, having been conceived when his mother still going to Hogwarts, with both her and his father refusing to take any responsibility in raising him. He was, however, fortunate enough that his grandparents, Charlus Henry Potter and Dorea Persephone Black, were not only able, but willing and even eager to raise him as their own.

The memory of the two had brought a hollow and sorrowful feeling, sensing their loss even after so long. Their deaths still appearing before his very eyes, brought by the hand of Voldemort, who had fight them both just to get to him and his younger siblings, William and recently born sister Rose. He remembered how his grandfather had fought off Voldemort and his minions, killing near the half of the invaders, to a standstill, having been one of the few wizards at time to be able to match Dark Lord Grindelwald in battle… only to be stabbed in the back by a rat in human flesh, Peter Pettigrew, wounding him and being finished off by Voldemort himself.

And when he fell, his grandmother took up to fight against them, with tears on her eyes. Voldemort had believed that the woman would be nothing like her husband, but Dorea had proven him wrong, as she had cut down by curses, hexes and charms many of practically the rest of his minions, with Bellatrix and her husband with brother. He vividly remembered how his grandmother had materialized an ethereal raven, as she was pushed all the way into the children's room. She sent it against the green killing curse of Voldemort and seeing it collide with Voldemort, until darkness claimed him out of nowhere. Once he woke up, he was told by his godfather that it was his younger brother Will that had defeated Voldemort, whilst Dorea Black was the last of his victims. Henry knew it wasn't true, but everyone would not hear of what had really happened, since it was what Albus Dumbledore had said, the man that Henry would come to regard as the one of the architects of his misery.

He, along with Potters, Sirius and many others, have made his brother into a practical magical Jesus Christ, the destined savior of them… If the savior of their world was supposed to be an arrogant, unbearable, glory-drunk dunderhead, then Henry and his sister would much prefer apocalypse. After the deaths of his grandparents, his 'actual' parents had not an ounce of interest in him and Rose, since they didn't, according to Dumbledore, destroy Voldemort. It had fallen upon him now to take care of his little sister, the only living relative for whom he felt genuine love and who loved him back.

He is grateful to those few good people that hadn't forgotten about him, nor did they shun him. Andromeda, Edward and their daughter Nymphadora, auntie Cassiopeia, Lord and Lady Longbottom, Grandfather Arcturus - all of them were the people that had never forgotten him and treated him with kindness. He only dared to hope that they didn't believe him to be the monster Dumbledore, Fudge and Potters have made him to be.

As Henry steadied himself for the next visit of his hosts, he suddenly felt some kind of lightness, a tingle of… hope? Groggily he opened up his eyes, only to instantly close them from the brightness, emitted by two ethereal animals standing near his cell, along with the two persons that were producing them. One of them Henry was able to recognize, as it was the girl he considered as close as a sister to himself, Nymphadora Tonks, while her companion was someone he had seen only once, a black skinned, tall and powerful looking man. He was the one to talk, while Nym looked at Henry with barely contained tears.

"Henry James?" Soft, yet strong voice spoke, with Henry nodding, opening his eyes. "Stand up and step to the furthest wall. You have someone who would like meet you." Harry's eyes betrayed a mild surprise at hearing this news, yet he did as he was told.

Once the cell was opened, Henry stepped outside, only to nearly fall onto the ground, as his legs were failing him. Only thanks to Tonks he didn't meet the cold stone with his face, as she quickly caught him, and nearly effortlessly helped him up, but continued to hold his hand. It was easy for the girl to do so, as his stay in here has resulted in Henry James, once a tall and handsome raven-haired man with deep warm green eyes, to become a walking dead man.

His skin was pale, practically hanging on his bones, as he lost a great amount of his weight, with his once strong muscles nearly atrophied. His face was gaunt and clearly showed outlines of his skull. His once messy black hair was now replaced by an unkempt grey mane of hard hair. And his eyes, from warm green, had long turned pale white, having lost their color in the presence of dementors. The very sight of him had nearly broke Nymphadora, and only a reassuring hand of her partner on her shoulder kept her together, as they travelled through the bowels of this accursed place.

Henry didn't know how long they walked, but once they reached their destination, the tall black man pushed the door, with Tonks leading him in and seating him in the chair at the table. Henry looked up with his pale eyes to see two more persons, one being the woman that had for all intense and purposes became a mother to him, Andromeda Galatea Tonks, and another woman, dressed in Auror's garments, with a monocle in her eye and looking at him with interest, yet caution, while Andromeda was paralyzed with the sight before her. The monocle woman spoke up.

"Thank you, Tonks, Kingsley." She nodded them to take their place behind Henry, before she turned to him. "Henry, do you know who I am?"

"N-n-n…" Henry struggled to answer as his tongue and throat refused to work in any way, with Andromeda already seeing what was going on.

"His vocal cords must've atrophied. Amelia, give me a couple of minutes, please." Andromeda received a quick nod, with the medical witch immediately taking out her wand and beginning casting spells on Henry's body.

Within a few minutes, Henry felt as if the very life itself was returning back into his body. His hands and legs once more felt like moving, his lungs could once more take in air without hurting him. Once Andromeda was done, Henry had managed to speak, for the first time, in over a year.

"Th-thank you, auntie 'Dromeda." Henry spoke to her, with Andromeda breaking into tears at hearing her all-but adopted son speak.

"Oh, my poor little boy, what have they…" Andromeda nearly hugged Henry's form, had it not been for Kingsley's polite cough. "Harry, please, tell her everything. I swear, she can help you, so please, my dear boy…"

"Andromeda, please." Amelia interrupted her, with Nym taking her mother outside of the room to take care of her. "Now, Mr. Potter, do you know who I am?"

"No, but your name and face seem familiar." Henry answered her with a little strain, still adjusting to his own voice. "You remind of a girl from Hufflepuff I knew, Susan Bones. She said her aunt was called Amelia."

"That would be me, Mr. Potter." She nodded. "I am Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of Magical Britain. My niece, Susan, had told me quite a few things about you, things that I wouldn't have expected hear about the second coming of Salazar Slytherin himself."

"I never was one for standards or fitting into stereotypes." Harry simply said to her. "Just because I was a Slytherin didn't mean to me that I should become a stuck-up bigoted dark wizard. I've more than enough of those in my Gryffindor family, with William and James, not to mention their bootlickers, the Weasley family."

"Yes, Susan had told me much the same. She told that you have the heart of the Gryffindor, mind of Ravenclaw, soul of Hufflepuff and wisdom of Slytherin." Amelia told him, with a chuckle escaping from Harry's lips. "Henry, do you know why I'm here?"

"No." He simply answered. "Probably to ask me, why I had set a Basilisk upon the Muggleborns in Hogwarts? If that's the case, read the trial record and you'll know, it's all in there."

"Yes, I've read it through and through, and would you like to know what I think?" Amelia asked of him, with Henry quirking up a brow. "That it's the biggest load of dragon dung I've ever seen. I've been in my position for 10 years now, and I know a drumhead trial when I see one, and yours is the bloody prime example of it: no defense, no right to speak in defense, only the words of people that utterly hate you… But what had surprised me the most in it all was that throughout the entire thing, you never even rebuked them. Tell me, Mr. Potter, how come someone, whom Auror Tonks stated to have: "the biggest pair of balls made of goblin metal," didn't even say a word in his defense, hm?"

"Maybe because there wasn't anything to say?" Henry said to her rhetorically, with Amelia not buying into it.

"Really? Mr. Potter, please do not insult me. Unlike Fudge, your father, Sirius and many others, I've got a brain and I know how to use it. Otherwise, your Grandfather would've never taken me under his wing to train as an Auror." Henry looked a little surprised at the mention of Charlus Potter. "Yes, I apprenticed under him and I've even met you a couple of times when you were but a small little babe, a purest soul on earth. And even though it has been over 18 years now, I can still clearly see that same child in you. I refuse to believe that someone raised by Charlus and Dorea Potter could ever even think of letting out a Basilisk. So, I will ask you again, why the hell didn't you say anything in your defense back then?"

Henry looked at her for a second, before recalling exactly why he didn't oppose anything that was said about him back then, and telling her about it.

* * *

**Two years ago. Ministry's holding cells.**

Henry sat in his holding cell, contemplating how his entire life had come to this damned moment. He always knew that his parents always sought out a way to get rid of him, but to actually accuse him of letting out a Basilisk and trying to kill his brother, his favorite Weasley git fan, sister and that Weasley girl, when _he_ was the one to get save them… He could only curse his own damned bloody luck. He knew that he was going to face a drumhead trial, no question about it, but he will bloody well show them that he still had a few things to say to them all, as well as a few things to use to prove his innocence. After all, Magical Oaths nobody had canceled out of existence.

As he was thinking out his strategy, Henry heard how someone had stepped to his cell, ordering the Aurors to leave them alone. From the voice Henry understood who it was.

"Came to gloat, James?" Henry looked up at his smirking father. "Finally getting rid of the unwanted child at last… I guess it's the day of celebration for you and the rest of them."

"You are right, snake." James chuckled in a satisfied voice. "I will admit, Lily and I have been waiting for this since the day we finally understood that you were going dark. A pity that we had to endure your slithering existence for these 7 years." He said with utter disgust.

"Well, if I am Dark, then I have only you to thank for it." Henry chuckled, as he stood up. "Left alone with my sister, never treated as if we were any relation to you two, but then again, we were never someone like William, a walking glory magnet, from whom you could leach off like parasites."

"Your brother had rightfully deserved his glory for his defeat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, while you, a little dark snake that you are, had tried to destroy all that is holy in Hogwarts." James spat in Henry's face. "I told Dumbledore that he should've expelled you the moment you were sorted into Slytherin, but no. He gave you a chance at being someone good for once, and you blew, just like you always have done."

"If by that chance you mean being an obedient little soldier for your Greater Good, then I'm all too happy to have declined." Henry said to him, while James' disgusted face smirked again. "Don't go celebrate this victory yet, James. Fudge and others may've already said their verdict in their mind, but that doesn't mean I can't take a few bites off of you and your pathetic excuse of a Savior. We both know he was useless against Voldemort, and I'll make sure that everyone knows it tonight."

"Ah yes, the Magical Oaths." James chuckled lowly at this. "Dumbledore had told me that you'd find some way to falsify the facts in your favor. But I doubt that you will do this today, my dear son."

"Why? Because you'll say please?" Henry said in a mocking voice. "Try me, James. I already know my sentence, and if I'm going down for your Greater Good, then why should I care for you and your reputation?"

"Because if you don't, then you'll be having a company with you in Azkaban." James said to him with an evil smirk, with Henry's face immediately losing all color. "Rosy has been so feverishly defending you, telling everyone that you've actually saved her and that it was poor Ginny that had done it all. While it can easily be said that she is just shaken, but… Who is to say, that you haven't… corrupted her?"

"No… You stay away from her." Henry said to him in a low growling voice. "She's innocent, and she'd have died in that damned Chamber! Don't fucking give a damn about her, you monster?!"

"She could've, if I were to say so." James simply looked at his shaking son with a sick satisfaction. "But that girl has been nothing but a disgrace to the House of Potter for her entire life. First by refusing the honor of being betrothed to Ronald, then by spending so much time with you, and finally, by lowering herself to becoming a Hufflepuff." James practically spat out that word.

"She has a good heart, unlike the vile woman that birthed her…" Henry said angrily, for which he got hit by a stinging hex in his chest.

"Lily and I are still debating, whether she is worth keeping around, or if it'd be better to simply… rid ourselves of another dark witch in the making." James said to the hissing out of pain Henry. "Dumbledore actually believes that there is some salvation for her, _if _only her brother were to admit to all his entire crimes, _including _using his poor loving sister in a dark ritual to revive You-Know-Who. Otherwise… I can't guarantee her fate. The choice is yours, Harry, and for once in your life, I advise you to actually do as your better tells you." With this said, James had left Henry to himself.

Henry had collapsed onto the floor, his eyes closed and welling up with tears. He should've known, he _had _to know that it wouldn't be as simple as it seemed. He long had understood that for his goals, Dumbledore was ready to discard anything and anyone unsuited for his purposes, and James and Lily would only be too happy to add to their fame and glory. Henry already had accepted his fate in his heart, but Rose… No, he would never dare to let her suffer because of his actions. His sister deserved to live a good life, and as much as he wanted to see the entire Ancient and Noble House of Potter burn, he would himself burn on a stake then see Rose put with him in Azkaban. Dumbledore had played him, used the single thing that Henry could never discard in face of death: his love for his little sister.

The choice was obvious…

* * *

**Present time.**

Amelia sat still as she listened to Henry tell her the truth, and only years of training and carrier as an Auror had prevented her from cursing in front of the falsely accused man. She had long known that James Potter, while a dashing and chivalrous rouge outside, was nothing more than a pathetic excuse of human being. Even back in Hogwarts, she could clearly see an envious and malignant person that would do anything to get famous. His escapades with Marauders only confirmed it to her and his parents, who were unable to reform their son. He was never able to live up to the standards of his father and his deceased older brothers, Michael and Gabriel.

Those two were the pride of Gryffindor and Hogwarts, true sons of Charlus Potter, with both having never feared to face any danger together, nor let an injustice go unpunished. Michael was the eldest, being born 12 years before James, and by the time James had graduated, he already had a wife and two children, a daughter and a son. He was raised as a true Heir, and had every quality to be one, and would've been, had it not been for Dragon Pox taking the lives of his children, and then Death Eaters torturing his wife Isabella Rosier to death, all in the same year. Michael may've been one of the bravest men she knew, but every man can only take so much until his spirit was broken. But even so, he did die a brave man, defending his family to the last of his breath when Voldemort began his hunt on Potters.

Gabriel… Never had Amelia known a sweeter and kinder man, but at the same time someone who could make her smile and laugh with how utterly reckless he cloud be. 3 years older than James and her age, it was actually a surprise to her that she, a stiff and by the rules Hufflepuff, ended up becoming best friends with the most reckless, trouble-seeking Gryffindor Hogwarts had ever seen. It was even more of a shock that she had fallen in love with him, and by the end of their 7th year, they were married. Their parents were surprised, but supported their union never the less, and she could honestly say that never had she been happier in her life.

She loved Gabriel with all her heart, and the day she found out she was pregnant with their child, she thought that she would die from sheer happiness. But, as fate would have it, her paradise didn't last long, as Gabriel, much like his brothers, and her family, was involved with the Order of Phoenix, and was at the frontlines against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. She was in her last trimester when news came about her Gabriel, with Alastor Moody personally delivering them. Gabriel, along with the Prewett Twins, Gideon and Fabian, were ambushed and killed by Death Eaters, with Gabriel falling at the hand of Voldemort himself, who had wanted to be the one to end one of the most powerful enemies himself.

Moody may've said that he had died like a hero, but Amelia didn't need a bloody hero, she needed her husband, her Gabriel. The next weeks were utter hell for her, as the child, the son she carried, had died from the magical overload because of Amelia's hysterical state in her womb, and medics in St. Mungo had remove him and her womb to save her. She would never be able to conceive, and only Susan had saved her from taking her own life, as she herself had lost her parents and needed someone to raise and love her, and Amelia made sure that her Susan was raised and loved as if she was her own daughter, even though always will miss her Gabriel and little Edward.

Both the men were infinitely greater and better than what James could ever even hope to become, and yet, instead of them, it was James that continues to draw breath.

"I always suspected that he and Black were rotten, but to threaten to send _his own _daughter to Azkaban… Makes me glad that you sister had disappeared." Kingsley spoke up, drawing the attention from Harry.

"What?" Harry asked of him. "What do you mean by it?"

"Your sister, Rose Dorea Potter, had vanished without a trace on 30th of August in 1993rd, with her wand snapped and Ministry unable to track her through The Trace." Amelia informed shocked Henry. "Nobody knows where she is, or if she's alive. Potters have tried to use blood magic and her connection to House of Potter to find her, but it did nothing for them. This has led everyone to the conclusion that the girl was either killed by Peter Pettigrew, who escaped Azkaban earlier same month, or that she has…"

"Magically discarded the name of Potter and all blood and magical relations with the House." Henry finished for her, with Amelia nodding to him. "She hated our family even more than I did, and only reason she even remained there was because of me…"

"While everyone believes that she has been killed by Pettigrew, who had escaped once again capture after his attempt on William Potter's life, I have reasons to believe otherwise." Amelia pulled out a small letter out of her pocket and gave it to Henry. "I received it three days ago via an owl in my house. Susan, who was close friends with her, told me that it is Rose's handwriting. Can you confirm it?"

"Yes, it's definitely hers." Henry nodded to Amelia, as he read the letter.

_Lady Amelia,_

_I know that you must be confused, getting a letter from a seemingly dead girl, but, I assure you, that I am perfectly fine and alive. If you have Susan close to you, then she will confirm it to you that it's my handwriting. And if you are still confused, then here is another proof for you: 12__th__ of August, 1992, you and Susan had bumped into me on your way to the Madam Malkin's robes, and you've helped me get my robes measured, and after helped me find my big brother Harry in the bookshop._

_I can't tell you where I am, but I do know that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back and that Ministry do nothing against him, while Dumbledore and my family trust William to defeat him by whatever insane manner. Susan told me that you are a woman that believes in justice and truth, as well being someone that hates both Dumbledore and Voldemort for taking away Uncle Gabriel. Because of them, I've had my only brother locked up in Azkaban for something he hasn't done. If you want to end them both, and I have a feeling that you do, then he is the one you for this. There is a phial with a memory that will tell you why you need him and why he should be freed._

_Do not try to find me, and do not trust the Potters and the Order._

_Rose Dorea._

Henry read the entire letter twice, taking in all that was written there, before looking up at Amelia and speaking up.

"Voldemort… He is back?" He said in a shocked voice, with Kingsley and returned Tonks women flinching at the mention of him, while Amelia simply nodded. "How could… Oh bloody hell… He made more than one…" Henry's eyes widened as he realized something that had escaped from others, with Nymphadora speaking up.

"More than one? Harry, what does that supposed to mean?" She asked of him, with Harry taking in the air. "Bro, do you know something?"

"Yeah, I do…" Henry nodded to them all, before looked up at Amelia. "What memory did she send you?"

"One that had a part of your battle with one known as Tom Marvollo Riddle, followed by you short fight with Aurors Potter, Black, Lupin and Professor Snape." Amelia informed him, with Henry understanding what she meant. "She was one of the victims, wasn't she? And Riddle is born name of Voldemort, isn't it?"

"Yes, on both accounts." Henry nodded to Amelia.

"It was Ginny Weasley, possessed by him, that sent Basilisk at the Muggleborns and later managed to kidnap both William and Rose to use their magic to let Voldemort's soul regain life, am I correct?" Henry nodded to her, while everyone else listened carefully to this exchange. "While all of this is clear to me, but what cannot understand, however, is how were you able to withstand Basilisk's gaze in eyes and even control him? And what had really happened there?"

"About Basilisk's killing eyes, Parselmouths are immune to his gaze, with Riddle and I being as such. As for control and what had happened there…"

* * *

**Two years ago. Chamber of Secrets.**

Henry could honestly say that there were times when he had literally cursed being born a brother to so-called Boy-Who-Lived. Now was one such moment, as he stared right into the eyes of a fully reborn Tom Marvollo Riddle, or as he styled himself, Lord Voldemort, with the four victims, used as batteries to fuel him up, lying right behind Henry. While in any other situation, he would've been more than happy to leave his insufferable little brother to his fate, alongside those parasitic Weasleys, the fact that the fourth victim was his little sister Rose had ensured Henry's involvement in this entire bloody thing. And despite how much he had tried to distance himself from this entire Heir of the Slytherin business and simply finish his final year, he now had to finish it himself, just like that whole accursed Philosopher's Stone business last year.

While it was initially hard to get to the bottom of this entire charade, Henry's Slytherin mind had allowed him to piece together the clues and history to get to the meat of it all. Heir of Slytherin, with the petrified Filch's cat indicated that it was something connected with Salazar Slytherin and his lines. A single visit to the library and reading of Wizarding Houses and Lineages, along with Foundation of Hogwarts, revealed to him that out of all lines from Slytherin, only House of Gaunts were alive long enough to produce an Heir of Slytherin, who could open the Chamber, and that said Heir was produced by Merope Gaunt, disowned near squib woman, since her brother and father left no heirs of their own, according to book, even if it didn't state that she has had any children. As for petrification, Henry understood that one from the information about Hogwarts' ventilation system of pipes, and Salazar Slytherin's symbol of snake, a Basilisk.

When the next attack came, Henry deduced that the Chamber was opened 50 years ago and that someone had died then as well. A quick chat with Myrtle, a ghost who haunted an abandoned toilet, revealed to Henry that the one using Basilisk was a man near his age or so, and that he had to be a Parselmouth, just like him. When it came out that his brother was also a Parselmouth on a duel with Malfoy, Henry decided to pay extra attention to the students, as he had a suspicion, that the Heir of Slytherin maybe dead and is actually possesses someone. His hunch was right, as thanks to Rose, he learned about Ginny Weasley's deteriorating mood, weaknesses during class and seemingly apathetical disposition- all symptoms of a possession.

While he had asked Rose to stay as bloody far away from Weasleys as possible, Harry searched for the name of the Heir, until he found it out, all thanks to the Hall of Glory and Trophies. Tom Marvollo Riddle, a Slytherin student, half-blood, who had been a student in the correct time frame, was the one possessing the Weasley girl. At the same time, he had managed to locate, thanks again to Myrtle, the entrance to the Chamber. He had been in the middle of preparations to dealing with this damn crisis, when he found out that Ginny had taken Rose to Chamber and that his damn brother and his arselicker were going after them. Discarding all preparations and channeling his Gryffindor side, he went after them, intent to murder Ginny if need was.

A shame he was too late for that, as Voldemort had been reborn in his youthful visage and was now holding what looked like a small diary. As Henry drew his 14 inches wand, made of red oak and with dragon heartstring, Tom took William's wand, before burning the book in his hand and speaking up to Henry.

"Ah, such a joy to be finally free from this vessel." Henry listened to Voldemort carefully, slightly confused by what he meant. "Well, I have to say that I am very pleasantly surprised that you've managed to make your way here, Mr. Potter. Ginny's thoughts about you were all but showing that you were a second coming of Grindelwald. I must say, that you do not disappoint."

"Glad you are pleased, Voldemort." Henry replied in a sarcastic tone, bringing his wand up. "From those words of yours, I gather that the book you just destroyed was your vessel, an anchor for your soul from which you now live… A Horcrux." Henry practically whispered that last part, with Tom actually applauding him.

"Bravo, truly bravo." Tom sincerely stated to him. "Ah, it is such a joy to meet someone of equal intellect and might. I take it, you've learned of the Horcrux the same way as I did, from the story of the Herpo the Foul in Greek Wizards and Witches of Old in the library?" He asked in a genuanly curious tone.

"Not quite, it only provided the clarification to what I already had learned in the past." Henry answered him with Riddle seemingly satisfied with answer. "It also explained how your disembodied soul survived that night, but now it seems that you are a now a completely separate living thing, no longer bound to your originator."

"Once again correct my dear Slytherin compatriot." Tom smiled to him. "Now, I understand that your sole reason for coming here was because of your little sister Rose there, wasn't it? If it's any consolation to you, I do regret that I had to use her power for my own needs, as I had no desire to draw your ire, my friend."

"Somehow, I find this highly doubtful." Henry nearly hissed at him. "You knew that I was onto you, right from the moment when I had figured out who you were possessing, so decided to draw me into your lair. To kill the one person you thought who could end you."

"Hm, actually my first thought was to simply talk to you, Henry. Although, since you are a true Slytherin, you understand that as much as I may respect and even admire you, I can't simply let you spoil my campaign." Tom brought up Will's wand up. "But I do wish to ask you, if you would consider consolidating our ambitions, minds and power? For a man of your intellect, it should not be hard to determine just what heights we may achieve together. Dumbledore, your parents, purebloods and muggles, all will bow to our will." Henry simply smiled at him, before answering.

"My apologies, Tom, but why should I cooperate with one person I know for certain to fear me at moment?" Tom's face betrayed small tingle anger. "I much rather have you destroyed than be my ally. And besides, don't tell me that you wouldn't stab me in the back the first chance that you go."

"Ha, spoken like a true Slytherin." Tom smiled to him. "Killing you will be the hardest thing I'll ever enjoy. _Avada Kedavra_!"

With his instincts sharpened to their fullest extent, Henry was able to instantly sidestep from the Killing Curse, immediately sending his own _Reductor _Curse at Tom. Riddle's _Protego _saved him from being blasted, but it did unbalance him a little, leading to him taking a next hit from Henry's _Diffindo_, slashing at his face and opening a large gash on his right side. Hissing from pain and his wounded pride, Tom's shields flared up, taking the brunt of the multiple _Stupefy _and _Expeliarmus _charms, until he found an opening in Henry's defense and struck.

"_Repellium_!" A quick small ethereal ball shot from his wand and hit a disarming charm of Henry, sending it right back at him.

Henry wasn't ready to face the repelling charm, and his wand would've been taken out of his hand, if he hadn't put up his own shield up, so thankfully he was simply pushed backwards from the force of his own charm. Using the opening in their duel, Tom decided to use his ultimate weapon against his opponent, as he spoke in the tongue of snakes.

"_Basilisk, your Master commands you to come and slay this false speaker!"_ Tom hissed, and right out of the water behind him sprung out the one thing that Henry feared to see.

Basilisk was truly a magnificent, yet terrifying sight for Henry's eyes: over 20 meters in length, as wide as a car and with eyes as menacing as they were somewhat charming. It took him a second to realize that he had just stared right into the eyes of Basilisk _and _was still functioning and thinking. Rebooting his mind right next second, he saw that the large snake was making its way right to him, with her hissing in familiar to them tongue.

"_This speaker dares to oppose the Master's Heir? Yet you stare at me and not fall?" _The hiss was truly a curious one for the Snake. _"Only Master could look in my eyes and live, but why can you?"_

"_Maybe I'm also Master's Heir, if I made my way all the way here?"_ Henry suggested it to the Basilisk, who seemingly stopped in its tracks, with Riddle shocked. _"You can hear me speak the noble tongue, can't you?"_

"_Yes, and your voice… Your voice is stronger, and only a True Heir could look in my eyes. He dares not…" _Basilisk surprised them both, when he suddenly turned to face Riddle, who was reeling back. _"Enemies of the True Heir must DIE!" _Basilisk immediately launched itself at Riddle.

As Henry was reeling from the shock, he wasn't able to witness how Tom had launched a _Reducto _in the open maw of Basilisk, destroying his insides and killing the beast. Harry saw it happen, with Tom sidestepping away from the corpse and speaking.

"Damned beast, how dared he…" Tom looked at Harry with a powerful glare. "Well, well, it would seem, Mr. Potter, that you are not only a nuisance, but a pretender as well. I know naught how Basilisk has recognized you as True Heir, but I'll be sure to rectify my mistake of not killing you earlier right away!" And with that he launched a flurry of curses at Henry.

Without wasting breath on words, Henry's shields and counters sprung out his wand, as he answered on Riddle's attacks with his own. A storm of _Incendio _was met by a torrent _Aquamenti_, followed by the acid Transfiguration of the water. Tom's response was the _Glacious_ charm, freezing it all before him, before blasting the ceiling above Harry's head.

Reacting with all his speed, levitated falling rocks directly in front of himself, creating a wall in front of himself and protecting himself for next couple seconds from Riddle's assault. A quick glance behind showed that while the victims were all stirring up, with only Rose being somewhat awake, they were still defenseless. He had to find a way to finish this quickly, and that meant going all out at him.

Time was to whip out what he had learned from his grandfather's personal collection.

Henry's wall transfigured into sand and dropped down, with Riddle's transfiguration, as he looked utterly murderous. Deciding that enough was enough, using all power he could muster up, his wand released a great flame, which took shape of the snake and was making its way to Harry. Recognizing the spreading flame as _Fiendfyre_, he knew that the only way to answer to this in his current situation was to give this fire something it could not handle. Waving his wand in a circular motion before him, spoke the incantation, and the blazing snake of fire was suddenly met with a wall of bright blue fire, hitting it right in the neck and beheading the fire snake.

Tom's eyes widened as he recognized one of the few spells that could stop and dispel his _Fiendfyre_. _Protego Diabolica_, a Dark Charm spell, creating a wall of living demonic fire that listened to the will of the caster. To cast such a spell, the wizard would have to be not just powerful, but remarkably skilled as well. He himself had been able to make it, but not maintain it at such level, a level at which his most powerful spell was destroyed. Tom had believed himself to be someone equal in power to Dumbledore and Grindelwald in their prime and with reason, as he thought, but now… Now he stared at someone, whom as much as he utterly detested the very notion of it, he was actually beginning to fear.

Catching his breath in a second, Harry had pointed his wand at his opponent, and his diabolical fire immediately spread right towards Riddle at the great speed. Mentally commanding to devour and destroy him, Harry sent even more of his power into the flames, greatly increasing its intensity. Riddle's shock was quickly over, and his wand had conjured up his own version of diabolical flames… But all it did to him was grant him a few seconds of reprieve. With a roar of the infernal beast, Henry's flames broke through the feeble defense of Riddle and engulfed him fully.

Screeching and screaming had filled the Chamber, as his now mortal body now burned to nothingness by the violent flames. In a few seconds, Henry saw how the very last of Riddle had disintegrated, and he dispelled the flames, nearly dropping on his knees from exhaustion. But there was no rest for the wicked, taking the phial with a powerful energizing potion and chugging it down the throat. Henry turned his attention back to his sister…

Only to be blasted right off of his place and flung into the water, only saved from drowning by their shallowness. Rising from his feet and spitting out of his mouth blood, piercing pain in his chest struck Henry, as he felt that his ribs were broken. With a furious eye, he looked at the unwanted guests, namely his father, godfather, Remus Lupin and Professor Snape, who began to send hexes and curses at him. Reenergized, Henry put up his best defensive charm, _Protego Repello_, and maintained it for as a long as it was possible, before his new attackers exhausted their attacks, with James shouting at him.

"Cursed snake! You will pay for attacking your brother and the students of Hogwarts!" He arrogantly boasted. "I knew that you were dark, but to be the one behind it all, even I couldn't believe it!"

"Dumbledore had hopped you would turn from your dark path, Harry, but to go as low as this?!" Sirius bellowed at him. "You are not godson of mine!"

"Surrender now and you will have a fair trial, Harry!" Remus shouted at him. "You can win against us four here!"

"Mr. Potter, I will be honest and ask of you to actually put up a fight." Snape smirked at him, sneering at the same time. "I've waited for a _very_ long time to _finally_ end you, so do not disappoint me…"

"To hell with all of you!" Henry shouted out in rage, flaring all of his power at once and channeling it into his spells.

Even though Henry had just defeated and destroyed the very same Voldemort that had been so feared by all, he was in no condition to hold off the attacks of all four of them at once. Never in his life would he have imagined the Marauders _and _Snape working together, but it seems that common hatred and disgust unite even the unlikeliest of people. Pulling himself out of the waters and moving as fast as he could, Henry wasted no time to respond with blocks on spells, maneuvering around and answering with his own hexes and curses.

Dodging the combined stunners of James and Sirius, he responded to them with his flaming charm, before instantly shifting his attention to Remus being hit by the stinging hex in his leg. Hissing with pain, Henry wasted not a second to respond with _Expulsio _right in the face of the werewolf, sending him flying away, but his victory was hollow, as Snape, James and Sirius had used this moment to strike at him with _Expeliarmus_. The force of the combined attack was enough to plant Henry into the wall behind him with a great force, before he gravitated down to earth with a thud.

He was done for, and he knew it well, as well as he understood that the forces of Light have decided to get rid of him. He didn't know how they got here, nor did he care, but what he did know was the fact that Dumbledore _knew _that Harry would go here. It was very well known that he cared for Rose the most, and just like Riddle, he used it against him. As he was trying to rise on his feet, spewing out of his mouth blood, he was kicked into the stomach and rolled onto the back, looking into the smirking faces of James Potter and Severus Snape, with the latter speaking.

"How disappointingly pathetic, Mr. Potter. One would think that the Heir of Slytherin would fare better, but after all, it is _you_ we are talking about." Severus Snape said to him with a sick pleasure coursing on his face. "Oh, revenge is truly sweet. Any last words to your Head before it all ends?"

"Yeah…" Sneakily, Harry pointed his wand at Severus, without being seen, as he whispered painfully. "_Sectumsepra_." And with the sight of Severus Snape's face being slashed by invisible blades, did Harry Potter drift into nothingness of sleep.

* * *

**Present.**

"Bloody hell… H-he actually returned then… And Dumbledore _actually_…" Tonks was pale after hearing it all, with Kingsley just barely maintaining his composure, while Andromeda looked a few years older.

"He knew, or at least, suspected this being in play." Henry pulled aside his grey hair from blocking his view. "If you think about it, he's the Headmaster of Hogwarts, the one that is supposed to be fully connected with it on a magical level. I doubt that a man of his power, knowledge and might wouldn't know of Basilisk, possession and all the rest. Hell that damned business with Flammel's stone just confirms to me that Dumbledore doesn't give two shits about security and people. All that damned bastard cares about are his schemes for his Greater Good."

"And considering the incident with Pettigrew _and _theTri-Wizard tournament… Damn it, i-if I didn't know it any better, I'd say that he was actually _trying _to get H-Him resurrected." Kingsley's detective mind pieced together all the occurrences and facts that he and Amelia had discovered. "But why? What hell would Dumbledore get from it all? Does he want another damned war on his hands?"

"Something tells me that it's exactly what he wants…" Andromeda said, as she sat at Amelia's right. "Every time, he sends Will right towards the danger, as if he actually wants him to die, but why…"

"I dunno why, Mom, but I'm starting to think that Dad should've taken that offer to teach at Illvermony in the States." Nymphadora said, turning her head to Henry. "Harry, that soul thingy you mentioned, was that what you…"

"Yeah, Horcrux." Henry nodded to Nym. "It is a form of immortality, achieved through the separation of one's soul and placing half of it into an object. I don't know the details of its creation, but I do know that it involves a death of someone. It is one of the darkest and most vile spells known, and while it may grant immortality, there is a steep price to pay for it…"

"And Voldemort paid it more than ones, considering that he is back, and not as the living shadow of the past." Amelia sighed and looked at Henry. "While I do believe you, Henry, can you explain to me how, in Merlin's, name were you able to stand up to him? And where did you learn such powerful spells?"

"As much as I would _love_ to claim that I've been blessed with power to rival Merlin himself, I doubt that I back then could've to the _true_ Voldemort." Henry said to them all. "That in the Chamber was not Voldemort at his fullest, only what he once was, and I don't think he as strong as he was at his height of might. No, I was lucky back then to have managed to defeat him. As for my spells… James and Lily never really paid any mind to the basement of our Mansion, where my grandparents kept all the best books on Charms, Transfigurations and Dark Arts, and those were the only reprieve for me and Rose. Did you know that I actually taught her how to read and write?" Henry chuckled to himself. "I don't know about my power, but my spells and knowledge come from the legacy my grandparents left me. And it turned out; I really do have a great deal of potential in those areas, especially with Dark Arts. Perhaps, there really is some of Slytherin blood in me, but from where and whom…"

"We can worry about it later." Amelia said to him, getting his attention. "Right now, Henry, I need you to swear to me that all you've said is true."

"Don't know why, but I sense there's something you have to offer me." Henry said more to himself. "I, Henry James, do solemnly swear upon my magic that all said by me here today is true." Magic illuminated in gold color from him, indicating that he was telling the truth.

"Alright, Henry, now I do really believe you and your sister." Amelia said to him. "I believe it is obvious to you now, that I have a deal for you, right?"

"Absolutely, and I'm listening." Henry was actually eager to hear what Amelia Bones had to offer.

"As much as I would like it, I can't get you a fair trial, nor a pardon, because nobody would allow it, especially with Fudge and the rest of his damned cabinet now burying their heads in the sand and going against Dumbledore and his cohorts." Amelia confessed to him. "However, that doesn't mean that I _can't _get you out of here, but there is something that I will need of you, Harry, or do you prefer Henry?"

"Henry, Harry is only for my closest people." Henry said to her, with Amelia nodding to him. "And what's your plan to get me out of here? I'm stuck in the lowest level of Azkaban, dementors' literal den, there is no escape for me alive."

"That's correct. You can't get out of here. _Alive_, that is." Amelia saw that Henry understood her meaning, as she pulled out a phial with a potion out of her pocket and placed it before Henry. "You've gotten an O for Potions on your N.E. . Care to tell me what this is?"

"Draught of Living Death, brewed by one auntie 'Dromeda, right?" Henry saw that he was correct, with Andromeda nodding to him. "So, what is it that you really want from me, Lady Bones?"

"To see to it that Voldemort _and _Dumbledore are removed out of this world for good." She stated to him, with Henry cocking his eyebrow upwards. "In your 7th year, you've managed to defeat _and _kill Tom Riddle, along with finding out his secret to immortality, and before that, in your 6th year, you faced the _real _Voldemort and killed his host. I've done my research on you, and I know that you've got the highest grades in Charms, Dark Arts, Transfiguration and Potions, and only coming second in Ancient Runes. You are someone whom Dumbledore had openly admitted to me being much like Voldemort in the past, but I can see that you really are someone that they both are fearful of."

"Playing on my sense self-importance, Lady Bones?" Henry chuckled openly. "How very Slytherin of you, but what do you _really_ want of me?"

"My hands are tied up because of my position, and Dumbledore's Order won't do a thing without his say so. And so, I need you, the one man that both of those men hate and fear, to help me to take them down." Amelia admitted to him. "You've learned of Riddle in one year more than all of Aurors did in twenty, so you, a man with your mind, would be able to find out his Horcruxes and destroy them. And once that is done, help me to finally put that damned bugger into the ground, along with Dumbledore."

"While all this is quite appealing to me, I need to ask you still… Why would you entrust me with this task? For all intense and purposes, Madam, I am _not _a Light wizard, that I can tell you. For all their damned bravado and boasting, Potters and his friends did get one thing right: Dark is _far _more appealing to me." Harry clearly admitted to Amelia, who wasn't even shaken by, nor were the others. "Why trust someone like me, who has no trouble with killing, torturing and using whatever means to get the job done?"

"Exactly because of all those qualities you've listed above." She said to him. "We are at war, Henry, and I know for a fact that if I want to have _any _chance at winning it, I need someone who can do all those things. War is hell, as muggles say, and I need a man that can walk into it and use it to the fullest. I don't need a noble Hufflepuff, or a brave and reckless Gryffindor, or a wise Ravenclaw. I need a cunning, determined, ruthless and utterly ambitious Slytherin, and as far as I know, you are the only one who fits the bill."

"Hm, yeah, the last crops of Slytherin students I've seen are utter failures in all aspects." Henry chuckled to himself. "Very well, I'm in. What's your plan, by the way? Let me drink this, have Andromeda here examine me and determine my death and them smuggle me out on the mainland?"

"Pretty much yes. We've already prepared a fake body, courtesy of Andromeda's Transfiguration and Alchemical prowess, so they won't tell the difference, especially after she gets' the details right." Andromeda left to get the finishing touches. "Officially, there was a call from here about you finally dying, made by the Warden, so Tonks brought here her mother. Kingsley and I are here on official business to interrogate Death Eaters on their knowledge of Voldemort, all of which is officially recorded in Ministry already."

"Wouldn't it be strange that I so suddenly died?" Henry asked, with Kingsley answering that.

"Henry, the level you were sent is specifically _designed _for prisoners to die quickly, within a few months. Fact that you've managed to hold on for _two years_ is actually remarkable and astonishing." Kingsley admitted to him. "Care to share how you are still even sane?"

"I've kept my mind occupied with what I would do once I get out." Henry grimly admitted, getting a curious eye from all. "That and… let's just say that I've got an angel watching over me."

"An angel? Like those in Christianity?" Nym asked of him, with Henry nodding to her. "Are you into a religion to, Harry?"

"No, but that doesn't mean I don't believe in higher powers." Harry admitted, before turning to Amelia. "I'm sure you'll understand, but my stay here has been a ruinous one on my body and magic. I'll need time to get back in top shape, away from Britain where I could be found. I won't risk Tonks family, so I'm sorry, auntie, Nym, but you are out of consideration."

"I understand, and we've already made arrangements for your recovery." Andromeda admitted to him. "We four here aren't the only people here who believe you are innocent, Harry. Cassiopeia Black is with us too, along with her father and your great grandfather, Arcturus Black. They've prepared to receive you."

"The House of Black is in this too? Good." Henry said, taking the phial and opening it up. "Anything I should know before we get down to business?"

"Only that Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt here will be acting as my spies in the Order. So if anything happens and you run into them, be aware of it. Oh, and nobody is to know of the deal, understood?" Amelia received a nod from him. "Good. Once you are transported to the Black family, I'll send someone I trust in full to give you all the materials on Horcruxes. You two will be working together on this one, as he also has an interest in this."

"Do I know this man?" He asked of her.

"Probably. Now drink up."

With a little bit of hesitation, Henry took the phial to his lips and chugged it down the throat, and not a second later, his body numbed and fell down, the last sound him hearing being his heart stopping it's beating.

* * *

**Three days later.**

His eyelids felt like they were filled with led, and with titanic effort only did he manage to open them. He was greeted by the blurred sight of a richly decorated room, suitable for the highest nobility, with his body lying on the finest bed and almost feeling like sinking into sheets. Henry blinked a couple of times, before seeing several tubes connected to his arms, administering powerful potions into his organism. As his mind has begun to clear up from his sleep, he heard a melodic and soft voice, one that he had dreamt of hearing for years now.

"Welcome back, Harry." Harry's eyes widened as he looked to his right and the sight had nearly brought him to tears.

Before him sat the young girl, with the long flowing red hair, bright emerald eyes and a beautiful face. She was dressed in deep red and black robes, adorned by black roses, with silver trimming. She looked at him with a comforting smile and, despite being younger than him, seemed to look at least as mature as he was. With welled up tears flowing out his eyes, Harry spoke to her.

"R-Rose…" He openly cried when took his hand her own. "Rosy… I-I'm s-so sorry… I wasn't fast enough… I…"

"Shh, Harry, shh." She softly stopped him. "I know what had happened, and you did everything you could and more. You've got nothing to apologize for. I'm just glad that you are awake now, big brother."

"Wh-where are we? Is this the Grimmauld Place?" He asked of her, with Rose shaking her head.

"No, we aren't even in Britain now, Harry. We are in Germany, near the Alps, in Black family's private mansion." Rose informed him. "This is Auntie Cassiopeia's home, I've been living here for almost two years now, ever since I've learned what…. What the Potters had wanted to do with me."

"What did they do to you, Rosy?" Harry's voice began to gain strength again, with Rose looking at her brother with a sad smile.

"What else do the noble and powerful Houses do with their daughters?" She asked of him with a dry sarcasm. "Dumbledore arranged for me and the youngest Weasley to be betrothed, to unite the two of his greatest allies. They didn't care for my opinion, and when I openly protested and let out just what I think of them all, James… Didn't take it lightly, nor did his wife. I'm lucky that after what had happened to you, Auntie Cassie has been keeping an eye out for me."

"I'll thank her for this." Harry made a not for himself. "Did they hurt you?"

"Yeah. And badly. Auntie says that scars won't ever go away." Rose simply admitted to him, showing him her scarred left arm, covered in what appeared to be a black scorched flesh, with Harry sharply inhaling at the sight of it. "Took Auntie Cassie a whole year just to restore the ability to move it."

"They'll pay for this." He said in a low and threatening voice, swearing to both himself and her.

"Good." A mature and powerful voice of a woman has drawn their attention. "No one dares to strike a Black and live to afterwards. Had Dorea or Charlus lived, James and Lily would be begging for mercy. I hope that you will have none for them, Henry."

Harry looked at the woman at his left, recognizing in her the features of his grandmother, though instead of light brown colored hair of Dorea reaching to her back, this woman's hair was black with small streaks of grey and reached only to the end of her neck. Her eyes were the same color as his grandmother's, warm deep green, but in them he could see fire burning. Though her face was showed some signs of aging, it was a beautiful face of a beautiful woman, dressed in black and silver robes of House of Black.

"Auntie Cassie, thank you, for Rosy." Harry kept his promise, with Cassiopeia giving him a small smile. "I'm in your debt."

"Of course you are, my dear." She chuckled to him. "And I'll cash it in when I have my chance, but for now, you need to rest and recuperate. Azkaban has done a number on you, and while your muscles and bones are repairable, some things are even beyond me. Your eyes and hair, for instance, won't be the same as before Azkaban. Although you'll be able to regain the skin color soon enough."

"Fine by me. I'll think of something about the hair and eyes later." He simply said. "What's the day today, anyway?"

"6th of July, dear. Less than a month since The Dark Lord has returned." Cassie said to him. "You've been officially confirmed as dead, so we'll have to now think of something for your identity, but that is something you'll be discussing with my father and not me."

"Is Grandfather will be joining us soon?" Harry asked of them

"He will, in a few hours. Until then, there are some things to talk about." A new masculine, yet familiar voice spoke, stepping out from behind Cassiopeia to the view of Harry. "It has been a very long time, Harry Potter. The last I saw you, you were but a small jolly little boy, sitting on my aunt's lap as she read you about the adventures of Knights of the Round Table. And now, just like Galahad and the rest of them, it falls upon us two to find our accursed Grails."

"You are the one whom Amelia sent?" Harry received a nod from the man. "You look somewhat like Sirius, but I've seen you before… Who are you?"

"Someone who too, would like to see Voldemort and Dumbledore dead." The man has said to him. "And as for the name, my name is Regulus. Regulus Arcturus Black, younger brother to my traitor of a brother and Voldemort's former minion."

* * *

**Oh man, it feels actually pretty good to back. Hello there everyone, my name's Alex, or Ronin, depends on what you prefer. Some of you may recall that I've disappeared from Fanfiction for a really long time (7 months), and that I've been actually doing Naruto fics for a long time. Well, let's just say that my Naruto phase is over (probably), and I've decided to get into the most populated fandom around, Harry Potter. **

**And yes, this is the Wrong Boy Who Lived (with a bit of twist), bashing Potters, Weasleys and many others and other clichés included, but hey, this is something I enjoy and isn't this the point of this site, to write what you enjoy. Plus at this point, I believe there isn't a cliché that hasn't been exploited. So, please be merciful to me, as I try and regain my touch in this thing again.**

**So a couple of things to clear up for this fic.**

**1\. Harry, or Henry (which I actually like) will be a Dark character, not evil, but a Dark one. Meaning, that he'll have no trouble killing, maiming, torturing and doing other dark stuff, BUT, he isn't EVIL. What does it mean? One, he doesn't do evil stuff just to get off of it, only because it has to be done. Two, he has morals and sticks to them if he can. And three, he is what some would necessary evil, someone to destroy the bigger evil. Think of him as someone like Wolverine from Marvel, or Red Hood from DC, or Itachi Uchiha from Naruto.**

**2\. His age right now is 19, he was born August the 1****st****, being 5 years older than William and 6 years than his sister Rose. He was born unwanted, conceived accidentally, and raised by Charlus and Dorea Potter. In here Charlus is Fleamont Potter's son, while Dorea and Cassiopeia are Arcturus' daughters, not sisters as is in canon.**

**3\. His intellect and intelligence are very high, having been forced to grow very quickly, and it is bolstered by his innate thirst of knowledge for the sake of using it. As for how powerful he is, he is on the same level as the highest members of DE, like Severus and Bellatrix, when he is at his best. And as for the reasons for his powers… That will be also revealed later on, along with him being True Heir of Slytherin too.**

**Now, I think I'll leave it at that for now. I can't exactly tell you how long the chapters will be, but they'll be over 5k, as per my rule. My schedule has been cleared up now, so expect this story to be updated, but not at regular intervals. And yeah, it means that Naruto section for me now is closed, very sorry to all of you.**

**Review, comment, question, suggest, I love feedback and it helps me out.**

**See ya!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Grimmauld Place 12. Four days after Henry's "death".**

Nymphadora Tonks pushed the door open into the familial house of Black family, though it didn't seem to be a house in which a powerful and respected family like Blacks would live anymore. Walls seemed decaying and rotting, little lighting in the house, dust filled places- all pointed towards this place having been abandoned in a long time, and it really was. Even though it had a house elf looking after it, Kreacher, the place has been dying, all because there were no masters living here, until most recently, as Albus Dumbledore has decided to reform his Order of Phoenix, with Grimmauld Place serving as its HQ.

Apparently, the old coot believed that since the place officially empty, nobody would come looking here for them. Plus, with Black wards still active and Sirius being able to set up the list of guests, it seemed like a perfectly suited place for the regular meetings. Although, if Tonks was completely honest with herself, she, along with her Mom and Aunt Cassiopeia, suspected that Dumbledore also wanted to get his hands on the library of House of Black, along with all the artifacts that were here. Well, too bad for them, Grandpa Arcturus had everything of such sort removed out of house, much to the ire of Sirius and his pals.

The only thing of magical property remaining here was the portrait of Walburga Black, which was hidden behind the thick curtains and silenced by a charm, to prevent it from screaming bloody murder. She had heard from her Black relatives, minus Sirius, that she Walburga whiles a prideful and willful, was still a calm and caring mother, nothing like her portrait. Nymphadora had no idea what had brought about that change, nor did she wanted to lose a night's sleep over it. Right now, she had a little spectacle to play in front of the Order.

As she passed through the hallway and towards the dining room, she nearly tripped, typically of her clumsiness. Next second, Nymphadora looked at the cause of her recent bout of clumsiness.

"Ow, Kreacher, watch were you apparate, will ya?" Tonks said to the house elf, who muttered to something to himself, before speaking up.

"Kreacher is sorry, Mistress Tonks. Kreacher will look out where he goes when Mistress Tonks is around." He respectfully spoke, obeying the orders of Lord Arcturus, before looked at the dining room with a sneer. "Filthy blood traitor and his filthy friends is here, Mistress. They talk of Dark Lord and something about in place of mysteries, but nothing about Exiled Master and Little Mistress, Mistress. Shackling Bolts being there as well, Mistress Tonks."

"Well, good to hear, and keep listening, Kreacher." Tonks saw the elf nod to her eagerly. "Remember what to do when they leave?"

"Kreacher remembers and obeys, Mistress Tonks." He bowed to her. "Kreacher serves only the true Blacks. Mistress Tonks be needing anything else?"

"Nah, I'm good. You go on ahead." With a pop, the elf was gone and Nymphadora went in ahead.

Just as the loyal elf told her, practically the entirety of the Order was already assembled here, with all nearly all the Weasleys, minus Percy, Potters, with their son. Sirius and Remus, whose scarred face adorned a blackened spot on the left side of it as a reminder of his attack on Henry, stood near scarred Alastor Moody, Kingsley, who sent her a quick nod, and Hestia Jones, also greeting her with it as well. There some faces she didn't quite recognize, but she quickly recognized two teachers of Hogwarts in here, namely Minerva McGonagall, and the scarred and partially disfigured face of Severus Snape.

Even to this day, looking at the man caused shivers to run along her spine. And with reason too, as he had adorned two long wide open scars, one running diagonally across his face, starting from right side of chin, going upwards to slashed lips, past nose and ending at forehead on left. His second scar was on his right side, a wide gash running down with half his ear slashed off. The sight of the man was somehow even worse than that of Alastor Moody, who was practically a walking talking scar himself. It's actually a miracle that Henry's spell was actually relatively weak, or otherwise, Snape would've died back in Chamber, not that Tonks or many others would grieve for the man.

Her musings were interrupted by the Headmaster himself, standing at the head of the table, as he addressed Nymphadora.

"Ah, Nymphadora, most wonderful of you to make it. Please, make yourselves at home." Dumbledore spoke with his usual grandfatherly tone, causing Tonks to shift her hair's color to red from her usual pink.

"It's Tonks, for the hundredth time now, Professor." She said with irritation, taking her place between Moody and Kingsley. "Sorry I was late, everyone. Had a patrol duty in Devon, but I've got some news that you might find interesting. It's about one of Azkaban's prisoners."

"Hm, how curious." Dumbledore said out loud. "Kingsley here himself was actually going to report us about the same thing. Why don't you go ahead first, Kingsley, my boy?"

"Thank you." He nodded to him, before speaking up. "Head of the DMLE, Amelia Bones, and I had gone to Azkaban four days ago. She had tried interrogating Lestranges with Bellatrix, but got nothing worthwhile out of them. Although the Minister and most of the Ministry seem to close their eyes on Voldemort's return, she's actually convinced that he is back. From what I gathered out of the exchange, she seemed almost… obsessed with this case."

"Hm, wouldn't put it behind 'Melia to be more than a little personally interested in this." Mad-Eye grumbled out loud. "Lost practically all she loved and cared for 'cause of 'em bastards. I hear she still mourns Gabriel and 'er son." It didn't escape Nymphadora, Kingsley and Alastor how James' face contorted in disgust at mention of his older brother.

"Yeah, I remember once walking into her office, to find her crying silently, whilst holding a photo of herself and some damn handsome bloke." Hestia remembered out loud. "Told me that this what she had lost in the war: a husband and a son. She also told me that if I ever spoke of it to anyone, I'd be serving night shifts in Azkaban till I start seeing ghosts everywhere."

"Well, if that's the case, then it sounds to me like we could actually get her on our side. Would be pretty nice to have someone of her standing with the Order, plus would REALLY ease off the pressure on me with Remus and James." Sirius suggested. "I think we should approach her, Professor."

"Wouldn't recommend ya' do that, Black." Moody grumbled out again, his magical eye firmly locked on Sirius. "'Melia may hate Dark Lord and his Eaters more than anyone, but I'll bet my good leg and eye that she knows about our little lunch club here, and she _knows _that both her brother Brian and husband Gabriel were in this group. Only reason she doesn't bust us out is 'cause she knows we are doing our best against Voldemort. Best we leave her be for now, she'll come to us if she wants on her own."

"Alastor is right. It wouldn't do us any good if we were to get Head of the DMLE against us in these turbulent times." Dumbledore agreed, turning his attention to Nymphadora. "Nymphadora, would you care to share what news you had of Azkaban now with us?"

"Four days ago, either before or after Boss and Kingsley here visited the mad trio, Warden had called the department while I was there, saying that a prisoner appeared to be dying and needed a medic to sort things out. So, I've went there with my Mom, since she was visitin' one of her patients on the med station." Nym began talking, with Charlie interrupting her.

"Doesn't the Azkaban have its own medic there in place? Why would they need to call someone from the mainland?" He asked confused, with some among the members thinking the same thing, before Kingsley spoke up.

"Wizengamot has been 'redirecting' the budget from several of Ministry's assets towards funding certain 'projects'. Like new sets of Minister's shoes." Kingsley stated, with everyone believing him, since it was actually the case. "Azkaban is one such asset being stripped of funds and personal, including medical one. And Director and I've heard from Warden that you were there before us, Tonks. I'll let you finish."

"Thanks, Shacks." Nym nodded to him, before finally cutting to the chance. "Anyway, the prisoner in question was locked up in the Azkaban's lowest level since his incarceration." She saw how everyone understood of whom she talked about. "Mom checked him and confirmed it: Prisoner number 2849, aka Henry James Potter, is dead." A dead silence set upon the entire room, as everyone contemplated what they had just heard.

Tonks knew full well the shared sentiment about Harry, knowing that the so-called 'Light' families and people had despised and hated him. Sure enough she wasn't surprised to see James, William, Sirius, Remus, and most prominently, Snape smiling at the notion, while Lily and most of the Weasleys had taken it approvingly. Minerva, surprisingly, looked somewhat shocked and saddened at the news, though Nym believed it was because of the fact that Harry, before the entire charade with Slytherin Heir, was one of her favorite students. Hestia and Kingsley had seemingly no reactions to this, but Alastor… Her old mentor, surprisingly, looked infuriated and even enraged, as he took out his flask and almost violently chugged down its contents, before unceremoniously wobbling out of the room. Dumbledore seemed to be contemplating something, before William finally spoke up.

"What's got him so worked up? Shouldn't he be glad that the bastard had finally kicked the bucket?" William arrogantly stated. "I'm surprised that loser had lasted this long there. Probably used some vile Dark Magic on himself to stay alive."

"Most definitely, Willie dear." Molly second that immediately after her future son-in-law. "That ungrateful jealous boy had used his sister and my Ginny for his dark arts. I say good riddance to him in hell, although I wish I could've sent him there myself, to be honest."

"Get in line, Weasley." Snape sneered, without losing his creepy smile. "Shame that I was there to see life _finally _leave his empty head. At the very least, it is comforting to know in his last moments he was probably screaming like little scared girl…"

"I'll be that he has been crying out for his mommy to get it all to stop." Ron laughed out loud, with Sirius and some others adding up to growing anger of Nymphadora and Kingsley. "Dementors must've actually taken some pity on him, since he lasted there for so long. Well, at least he and his little bitch sister can both wallow in hell together."

"What a waste…" Minerva commented in a somewhat saddened voice, getting surprised looks from everyone. "He was among the very best of my students when it came to Transfiguration, not to mention that vivid and alive mind. Had only he had ended up in Gryffindor and not gone the dark path, I would've been more than happy to have seen him succeed me as Professor for Transfiguration. Such a great talent and skills, yet all wasted for nothing. I sometimes feel like it's my fault he had ended up that way…"

"Don't blame yourself, Professor." Remus spoke to her reassuringly. "Harry had long strayed away from the right path, quite possibly before he started Hogwarts. His rot would've only poisoned Hogwarts had he been allowed to teach. At least it's a good thing he was removed in his seventh year, when it was discovered just _what _he was up to."

"And yet, we do have to learn to forgive and grant peace to those that leave this world repented." Dumbledore said in his usual wise grandfatherly voice. "I am sure that in his last days young Harry had repented for his sins and had asked for mercy. A shame that we will never hear his voice again, nor will we hear him repenting."

"Mom said that he lost the ability to speak over a year after his incarceration, due to muscle deterioration." Tonks said, barely containing her anger over the fact how everyone seemed so alright with what they had done. "When I saw the body…" The image of her surrogate brother in her head had caused her hair to change color from red to pale grey and her face to lose color. "It was like looking at personification of Death: pale, gaunt, thin, with grey pale hair and colorless eyes. Had to have a calming draught to get rid of the shudder."

"Well, at least we won't have to trouble ourselves with that snake ever again." James said without any trouble and actually glad. "Thank you for telling us about it, Dora. Now the name of Potters will no longer be stained by that disgrace of mongrel. The very fact of him living though disowned and without name smirched us with mud..." He practically spat that out.

"The idiot had deserved it. Shouldn't have been the jealous damned git, but who can blame him?" William said without any care. "After all, he could never even have hoped to come anywhere near my glory and power, so he decided to be the sneaky cowardly snake and tried to steal for himself. Every Slytherin is just like that, unable to accept their betters, and they all deserve what they get…"

"Wasn't your grandmother a Slytherin herself?" Tonks asked of William, who looked with a glare at her, joined by Lily and James. "I seem to recall her being one of the kindest people I knew. Heck, she had helped Mom deliver me into this world and went as far as to die defending you and your siblings. If anything, she had deserved to live to see here grandkids get their own kids grown up, not get badmouthed by their own blood."

"Tonks, that's enough of you!" James practically shouted at her. "My mother may've seen kind and caring, but she too had more than a few flaws, like her not accepting Lily as her daughter-in-law, or how about the fact that she and father had refused to even come on our wedding, hm? She was a prideful and spiteful woman, alright, though she did redeem herself by standing up to Him-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"I'm sorry, but did I hear that right?" Nym, as well as some others couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Potter, that's your own bloody _mother_, for Morgana arse's sake, you're spitting on! I don't know what her problem was with your wife here, but for Merlin's sake, you can't just fucking go and say this bile about her!"

"Is it bile, if it's true?" Lily suddenly spoke up, surprising Nym, who was starting to get _really _angry. "That woman had refused me since the day we met. In fact, she even told me on our first meeting, that I was nothing more than a passing infatuation for James. I'm absolutely sure that she had even been raising Harry just get her revenge on me, and it wouldn't surprise me if he had gone dark because of her. Honestly, it is a blessing that James, unlike his dear dead brothers, wasn't as close to that vile woman as they were, or otherwise, he may've perished just the same as those foolish idiots did…" Lily had stopped talking when someone had pulled had forcefully pulled her back, and then slapped her across the face.

"Don't you fuckin' say a word about Dorea and her boys, you wench." Alastor Moody growled out, shocking and astounding everyone. "I've been Michael and Gabriel's godfather and both were great lads, far greater than this damned prick here you call your hubby, and both had died so that this piece of glorified shit here could live, so don't you even dare to say anything about 'em." He then turned and properly punched Potter right in his mug, causing him nearly to fall.

"And as for you, that woman had brought you into this world, loved and cared for you, and _this _is how ya' repay her? Dorea had always loved you just as much as your brothers, if not even more, and now I see that she was so wrong to have been so lenient in her raising you!" Alastor grumbled out, before spitting on the floor. "I won't stay a fuckin' second in this damned house, listening how you bloody mix their memory with shit and dirt, not will I listen to you spewing these damned lies about Harry! That boy was thrice the man you and your merry men could ever compare to, James, and you should be ashamed of yourself, ya filthy blood traitor!" And with that said, he began to quickly wobble out of here, with practically the entire room in shock at what they saw.

Only Nymphadora was able to get over her shock quickly enough to run and catch onto her former teacher, when he had left the house and was already making his way towards the dark alley to apparate.

"Moody, hey, wait up, damn it!" She managed to catch up to him, nearly getting out of breath. "Hey, what was all that about, Mad-Eye? Don't get me wrong, I fucking wanted to deck the Griffin out of their dors, but that's me, but what's your deal?"

"My deal?!" Moody instantly turned to look right in the eye of his former student, scaring her a little. "Did ya really expect me to sit 'er and hear 'em spew all that damn fucking shit about my best friend's wife and their sons?! Those two boys weren't just my students or godsons, but my own fuckin blood! My own damn blood, and now that sniveling worm dare to say this about both his son _and _his own goddamn mother!"

"W-wait, your blood? I don't get it… Were you cousins to Charlus or something?" Tonks asked of him.

"Fleamont and Charlus' mother, Evelyn Potter, was born Evelyn Moody, my father's younger sister. Charlus and I practically grew up together, since we both were second sons to our heir brothers, but war with Grindelwald had made us Heads of Houses instead. We've been best mans on our weddings, godfathers to our kids, he and Dorea had even took care of my little Judy and Richard when I mourned my wife." Alastor told Tonks, who saw how tears began to fall from his one good eye. "I had watched their kids grow up and die at hands of that snake bastard, and I was always the one to tell 'em about it, watching how Dora had descended into utter despair at the news, with Charlus losing a part of his heart. Had it not been for Harry, I doubt they would've even had the will to live, and both had died protecting him and his siblings, and now those fuckin' cunts dare to spew that bile shit, after they've sent that boy to Azkaban for doing their own fuckin job…"

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't know, Moody…" Tonks was truly remorseful, with Alastor looking at her with a judging look, before he suddenly spoke.

"Ugh, it's alright, Tonks. Ya got nothing to be apologizing for, I'm actually rather thankful to ya." Tonks looked surprised at him. "Harry had told me that ya and your parents had taken care of him and lil' Rosy after Charlus and Dorea passed away. I'm glad that he had you there for 'em."

"Wait, how come you say Harry and not Henry? Wait…" Then it dawned at Tonks. "Harry has been taking a part-time job each summer since his first year, taking care of some old geezer for a good Galleon. It was you?"

"Who do ya think had taught him how to properly send hexes and curses, his teachers at DADA? I'd be damned if I've let Charlus and Dorea down by not looking out for him and Rosy. Teaching him what I know and ensuring that Ministry never caught even a whiff of where Rosy and Cassiopeia are is the least I could do." Alastor smirked at the sight of shock on Tonks' face. "You think that just because I'm old I couldn't put two and two together? I always knew that Blacks, minus The Mutt and 'Dromeda's sisters, had cared for Harry and Rosy, and that Cassie would never let anything to happen to Rosy. She and Old Man Black are good, really good when it comes to hiding something or someone they care about, but I didn't train two bloody generations of Aurors for nothing. Plus The Trace ain't so easy to remove, unless you know someone in Ministry who has a few skeletons in his closet, who could get rid of it. Wish I could've bloody well saved Harry from Azkaban, but, fuck!" He stomped down in anger.

Tonks looked at her former mentor with sadness, yet in her mind, she was actually already thinking about this entire situation. She knew that Alastor and Dumbledore had been close friends in the past, but now, seeing how the Order had treated Harry and his grandparents, it was pretty obvious to her that Mad-Eye Moody was not all too eager to be working with them. Add to that the fact that he has been safeguarding Rosy without her knowledge, and she could see that instead of considering Alastor Moody as one of the most dangerous potential threats to Amelia Bones' plans, he could actually become someone who could them out. It was a gamble, and a risky one at that, but if her intuition was right…

"Moody," She got his attention to herself. "If you were forced to choose between the Order and Harry, whom would you pick?"

"Don't know why you are askin' it now, Tonks, but… The Order may've helped stop Voldemort, but because of Dumbledore and his fuckin' 'Greater Good', I've watched most of my friends and my family dies right before my eyes. The only reason I even joined them now was because Albus promised me to get Harry a fair trial, but with him gone…" Alastor shook his head, before looking both of his eyes on her. "Why are ya asking me that, Tonks? You know, come to think about it, Harry was like a little brother to you, yet you ain't shedding any tears, no drainage of color in skin or hair, like he ain't dead to ya… Nymphadora, were Amelia and Kingsley in Azkaban talking to Lestranges, or to Harry?" He narrowed his eyes on her, with his former protégé not even flinching.

"Best not to talk about it here." She whispered to him, looking around seeing that there was no tail following them, before she pulled out of her pocket a small metal coin and gave it to him. "The password is 'Bletchley Park'. 10 o'clock, earlier or later, or if you bring a tail- you'll regret it. I mean it, old man, if you aren't alone or tell anyone of this, you'll forget how to take a piss standing."

"Copy that, and Tonks." He looked her in the eye before he pulled something prolonged wrapped in a black cloth and gave it to her. "Managed to save it from been snapped, with just a couple of galleons doing the good bit of talking. So when you next see him, make sure you give it back to him. A bloody good wand this one, especially in battles, but I prefer my Ash and Unicorn to his Red Oak and Dragon."

"I will, and thank you, Alastor." With that said, she apparated out of sight, with Alastor next second too leaving London.

* * *

**Back in Grimmauld Place.**

The rest of the Order was still in shock at what they had just witnessed. It was no secret that Alastor Mad-Eye Moody had more than a few mood issues, but this… This was something unheard of, for Moody to lose his temper like this and physically react to it. Some of the older members of the order, like Minerva, had known that Alastor was Charlus' cousin and a very close friend to Dorea, and she could understand him reacting like this.

Some others, like Kingsley and Hestia, were actually glad that someone had put Potters in their place and had stopped them from spewing their bile. Kingsley had a lot of things he didn't like about Potters, especially James, and badmouthing his parents and son in such a form was something he couldn't abide for long. The majority of the Order, however, were mostly in shock and confusion at what had just transpired, with Ronald speaking up.

"Okay, what the hell was that? Why did Moody just go bloody murder just now?" He asked no one in particular. "And what's with him defending Dorea and that dead snake anyway?"

"Mr. Weasley, if you had spent less time stuffing your mouth with food and used your ears far more, you would've been perfectly able to understand why he did all this." Minerva reprimanded second youngest Weasley, before deciding to explain the situation a little bit. "Mr. Moody is second uncle to Mr. Potter here, as his grandmother, Evelyn Potter, was his own aunt. Charlus and Alastor were closest friends, with them and their wives being closest of friends. It is also my understanding that before Ms. Tonks, he had trained both Michael and Gabriel Potter, his godsons. Their death, as well as death of Charlus and Dorea had a great impact on Mr. Moody's life, sending him on a path of vengeance against the Death Eaters. Criticizing or badmouthing them in his presence has always been a bad idea. And I had expected far better from you, James!"

"Oh shut it, Minerva!" James snapped, nursing his bruised jaw. "Damn half-mad bastard, almost broke my jaw with that swing… Next time I'll see him, he'll be sorry he had raised his hand on me and Lily-flower. What right does he have to tell me what to bloody do?! And what's with his deal about Harry? And where did Tonks go?"

"Perhaps he judges you because you are his relative, and because he may've cared for the boy." Minerva practically shouted at him. "Alastor has always made it clear when asked, what he thought about you and Harry. It is no secret to anyone that he was with Dorea and Charlus when it came to your and Lily's marriage. And as for what he did, I believe that you two had deserved it somewhat. Dorea had always adored and loved you, James, and she was anything but spiteful and prideful. Your words make you no honor."

"So you actually _support _what she had thought about me and Lily being together?!" James practically raved at what Minerva said. "Do you want to know what she said to me, huh? She told me, that Lily here is only after me because of my status and money, and that she'd dump me for someone richer if she had the chance. She even had stated that there was nothing that would make her a true Lady of House Potter. And when my folks took Harry in, do you know what she said? She said, and I quote: "I'd never entrust you with my grandson, nor would ever allow to you and James hurt him with your antics."

"James, let Alastor calm down, and please calm down." Dumbledore said in his usual way. "Obviously, his imprisonment by Barty Crouch still haunts him and he is only starting to recover completely from it. His emotions and paranoia are getting the better of him. Right now, it would be for everyone's best interests to let Alastor cool off, as muggles like to say it. I am sure that in a few days' time, he will return and apologize for his actions. And as for our dear Nymphadora, I'm certain she is doing her best to mend the relations between us and Alastor as we speak.

"I agree, James. There will be enough time to get our apologies. But, in the meantime," Lily had used her wand to fix her broken lip and swollen cheek, before continuing. "We should actually focus on the fact that Harry is actually dead. I hope you remember what this means for us, right?" It was then that James' eyes lit up and widened.

"Yeah… Finally! I almost had forgotten about it." He exclaimed surprising everyone. "With the bastard gone, there's nothing stopping the goblins from finally giving us all the money! Finally we'll have it all, and father won't do anything about it!"

"Okay, James, what are you talking about?" Sirius, as most of the Order here looked confused, before Lily decided to explain.

"After James' parents' death, we had gone to Gringotts to the listening of their last wills." Lily began explaining. "It was then that we had found out that Charlus and Dorea had excluded James from the line of succession as Lord Potter, and as Lord Peverell. Instead, James and I would only be Lord and Lady Fleamont, while the two most important Lordships, Potters and Peverell, had actually went to our firstborn, Harry. This meant that it was actually Harry that had the full access to all of riches of House Potter and treasures of House Peverell, while James and we were left with only Fleamont fortunes. It is fortunate though that Charlus and Dorea had actually taken to preserving and expanding the riches of all Houses."

"In other words, James had never been recognized as Lord Potter by family magic and goblins, since he got excluded from line of succession, and instead that right went to Harry." Remus got the affirmative nods from James and Lily. "But what is this entire business about separate Lordships. Potter makes sense, but Peverell and Fleamont?"

"Father had gotten into his head an idea to see all of his sons as lords of their own Houses, back when Michael and Gabriel were alive that is." James said. "Michael, as eldest, was to be Lord Potter. Gabriel, as second-born, was to become Lord Peverell after father's death, while I was left with Lordship of Fleamont. Potters are direct descendants of Peverell, from which came our Cloak of Invisibility, one of the Deathly Hallows. And as for Fleamont, that one came from my great grandmother and last member of Fleamont line, Felicia Fleamont."

"Anyway, we had tried to get the fortunes of Potters and Peverells, but Goblins refused to listen to us. They didn't recognizing me as Lord Potter, nor did they care that Wizengamot had recognized me as one. Instead, they told me that I could only use money of House Fleamont, and that the will of my parents is absolute. Of course, we didn't tell anyone of our situation, and especially to Harry, since we knew that we couldn't depend on him to give it to me as his father." James told them all. "However, while the money was out of our reach, there was one way that we could gain them, and that is through succession upon death, as was stated in the wills. With Henry now dead, Will here is now the official Lord Potter, though until he is of age and with kids of his own, it was decided to that me and Lily will fill in the roles of Regents. We'll just have to visit Gringotts to sort it out, which we'll do in a few days."

"Yeah, I'm not looking forward to all this political meddling and the other crap, and I'm sure that Mom and Dad are far better suited to handle my Lordships, now that the trash is dead." William smirked, turning to Ron. "So the first thing when we go to Diagon Alley, I'm getting us both with the best brooms we can get our hands on. Malfoy will be green with envy when he sees us riding those Thunderbolts next match."

And while the Potters, their friends and the rest of Order fell into their personal discussions, Kingsley had analyzed what he had just heard. Neither him, nor Amelia, and probably anyone else, had taken into the account that James might not actually be Lord Potter and have access to the associated riches. It was a surprise for him to learn that Henry was actually the real Lord Potter now, but this also didn't bode well for their plan. If Potters had gone to Gringotts and demanded access to the vaults, it would be completely denied to them, since goblins would be aware of Henry being alive through their own means.

Once the meeting was over, he would need to contact Amelia and Tonks, and inform them of this. He could only hope that Henry and his Black family would be able to come up with a good plan about it.

* * *

**Alright, I think I'll leave it at here. Sorry if this chapter is a fair bit shorter than what the first one was. Trust me, it was initially even longer than the first, so I decided to break it down into two, with the next one getting published soon enough.**

**Anyway, you've got your first taste of the Order and Potters. I do realize that I haven't flashed out many of whom you probably would like to see, but I do not despair, as future chapters will feature more of flashing out. Now, onto the possible questions.**

**1\. Kreacher being nice. Yeah, he is actually being nice to Nymphadora. Why? Because he sees her as a Black, and because Arcturus Black recognizes her as one. Why? Well, next chapter will reveal it.**

**2\. Moody's relations with Potters. Now that one is made up completely by me for this story, and I even had to mess up canon a bit, with Henry Potter being married to a Lady of House Moody, instead of last of Fleamont House. Do please not hold it against me. Anyway, Charlus and Moody were cousins, just like Nymphadora and Draco. That also explains his reaction to what James had said, as well as his reaction to news about Harry's death.**

**3\. Lordships. Yeah, I did go with it, cliché and all, but hey, that's what I do. Anyway, since Charlus initially had three sons, he decided to each have them as Lords. Michael as Potter, Gabriel as Peverell and James as Fleamont, but after Michael and Gabriel with their families bit the dust, James was the next in line. But, Charlus and Dorea decided to transfer the rights of Heir of Potter and Peverell to Harry instead of James, which is why Goblins don't recognize James as Lord Potter and Peverell. And as for Wizengamot, they have Albus Dumbledore telling them that James is Lord Potter. Now, if Harry were to die, then the next Lord would be Will, and after him Rose, as Lady. Hope that's understandable.**

**Now, here's what will happen in next chapter: Regulus' past, Revelations about bloodlines, Reasons to fight, And first move.**

**Review, question, suggest, give me your opinion, that kind of gist. I just love it. Oh, and a shout out to that good old critic of mine, that has a problem with me being Russian. Don't know what's your deal with me, but here is something for you to translate: Поцелуй меня в жопу, ****сука****.**

**Oh and one more thing, I still haven't decided on the pairing, so if you have suggestions, would really love to know.**

**See ya all soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Black Mansion in Germany.**

Having finally been allowed to rise off the bed by Aunt Cassiopeia, Harry didn't waste his time, dressing up in black robes, which covered his now sufficiently healed and restored body, allowing him to move around the mansion. Such quick process of healing was made possible because of Cassiopeia's constant vigilance, dosing him with her most potent potions and even Tears of Phoenix, all the while keeping him in a medically-induced coma, which sped up the healing. While he may've preferred to be awake for his healing in any other situation, he wasn't complaining, as this was the best sleep he had in over two years, literally. Now that he was looking more like a man, with more weight and meat put on his bones, with paleness of skin now less pronounced. While his muscles and traumas were still very much in poor condition, Aunt Cassie had assured him that he will be in top physical shape in no time with her healing him. The only things that were irreparable were his hair and eyes, now stuck as they were now.

Yesterday he had spent the rest of the day in bed, with Regulus deciding instead of talking to him about business and letting him be with his sister. He spent the rest of the day talking to Rose, finally able to see and talk to her at last. He didn't waste another moment, with both Cassiopeia and Regulus understanding them, with the latter leaving them alone. Rose had told Harry about her life with Aunt Cassiopeia, being both her apprentice and living with her here. He was pleased to know that their Auntie had took great care of Rose and made sure that she was provided both in material needs, as well as spiritual ones too. Rose had grown over these two years into an already impressive young witch, and he couldn't be more proud of her.

However, along with joy, came rage and anger, as he had learned _what _Potters have done to her after he was sent to Azkaban. The very next day after the trial, James Potter announced a betrothal between her and Ronald Weasley, as well as the betrothal between his golden boy and Ginny Weasley. Harry had always suspected that James was an idiot, but this was not just idiotic, but a near catastrophic move for House of Potters to make. Having spent countless hours studying history and traditions of Ancient and Noble Houses, Henry understood that for House of Potters' prosperity and stability, it had to unite itself with Houses of equal or stronger position, and there were enough Houses to choose from: Bones, Abbott, Greengrass, Patil, etc. Even Parkinson and Malfoy would've been good matches for children of House Potter, worthy of their position, if you don't take into account their allegiances to Voldemort.

But to unite with House of Weasley, and not through one, but _two_ marriages… It was an utter madness. House of Weasley had once been a strong and prominent Ancient and Noble House in Britain. That all changed when Edmund Weasley, uncle to Arthur Weasley and Head of the House before his father Septimus Weasley, had utterly ruined their House by attempting to force himself upon Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's younger sister, using the combination of Amortentia and compulsion charms. Ironically, the one who had solved this entire crisis were the Royal Court's Sorceress and Sorcerer, Dorea Black and Charlus Potter, who together had saved Princess Margaret from the unwanted marriage.

This was not just a great shame, but one of the most devastating breaches of Statute of Secrecy in all three and a half centuries since it was implemented. Entire Houses were literally eradicated for lesser breaches, and it was expected that Weasleys were doomed, had it not been for Dumbledore and his 'forgiveness of those that did wrong' speeches. And so, instead of destruction of the House, Weasleys lost practically all of their lands, properties and fortunes, forcing them into a Burrow. To marry into a House with such stigma would mean to share it, and to have _all _of your children connected with it would be essentially dooming your House into an isolation from everyone in magical world who didn't know of the Breach of 1949, as it was known.

And besides that, Harry clearly saw that Weasleys, especially Ronald, cared and craved for the fortunes of Potters. In fact, James and Ronald actually seemed utterly akin to one another in Harry's eyes: short-sighted, jealous and envious of others, following the orders and wishes of those they worshipped, bigoted and unable to take a no for an answer. Rose also understood it, and when she had protested and tried to plead her parents to spare her from this, James, angered by the insubordination of his daughter, decided to teach her a lesson of respect, as he saw it, via using a new curse he had learned from Sirius a long time ago.

_Caro Mortui_, the Dead Flesh curse and one of the most dangerous Dark Arts spells known to wizarding kind. This curse is designed to destroy and decay the flesh and organs of a person, literally decomposing it before the very eyes of a victim. In untested and untrained hands, this spell could have disastrous effects, since the result of _Caro Mortui _is extremely hard to reverse. Even Tears of Phoenix aren't able to fully heal the damage, since they can't work on what is dead. Only someone utterly devoid of humanity, like Voldemort, or arrogant and stupid enough, like James Potter, would ever even dare to use this curse.

Rose had been subjected to that spell for a whole week, losing bit by bit the ability to use her left arm, as her nerves and muscles deteriorated into a blackened and rotting meat. By the time James was, Rose wasn't able to use her left arm, and what's worse, the rotting and dead flesh had brought with it infections into her organism, which wrecked and devastated her even more. Rose had told him of being half-delusional, burning all up inside when August came, with her parents not even calling for a medic, since it would expose their crimes brought upon the girl. She would've died before the first snows fell, had it not been for Cassiopeia and her knowledge of Dark Curses and ways of countering them, as well as healing charms and potions. Unfortunately, the cost for Rose was that she no longer had any feeling of her left arm and couldn't even sense with it, as it was effectively just dead flesh. The movement of it was achieved through a complex reanimation rune set that Cassiopeia had placed on Rose, allowing her the usage of it.

If Henry had wanted to destroy the Potters before, then now he would see it burn and turned into ashes, alongside with Weasleys, who had the gall to hit and berate his sister for truth. He will personally see to it, that the names of James, Lily and William Potters were remembered as the reminders to every wizard, witch and magical creature alive of what it means, to burn in fires of Hell. The Weasleys, Dumbledore and the rest of them will also pay for their parts in his and Rose's torment. He had two years in Azkaban to think of ways on how to punish them.

Now he had to think of something _even more _fulfilling.

He slowly came to the wooden door into his grandfather's study, before quietly opening it and stepping inside slowly. Though he was able to move around, he was still adjusting quite a bit to his limbs' newfound mobility and strength. Henry stepped inside, to see three persons sitting on the sofas around a low table. Chief among them was a tall man, with short grey hair and darker shade of grey eyes, high cheekbones and thick nose, dressed in traditional black and golden robes of House Black. He looked nearly as old as Dumbledore, but instead of weakness, Henry saw power, strength and determination coming from the eyes and face of Arcturus Black, Head and Patriarch of House of Black and his Great Grandfather. He, along with the other two persons, rose up from their seats to greet Henry.

To his left stood a tall man with similar grey eyes, with short black hair. His cheekbones were about as high as Arcturus', but his chin was thinner and a bit more angular, along with his jaw being not as wide, added by a more a narrow and slightly longer nose. He was dressed in more of muggle-styled clothing, with his black jacket, white shirt underneath it, black pants and shoes. He bore some resemblance to Sirius, but in Henry's eyes, Regulus looked like a more dignified and stronger man than his older brother, along with being admittedly better on the eyes instead of his roguishly looking brother and his unkempt hair and looks. It was as if Regulus was actually an older brother to Sirius, though looking younger than the dog animagus.

The third person, however, was someone that had forced Henry to almost take a step back. It was a woman, and a witch, seeing as she was dressed in tight black and crimson robes, showing her quite appealing figure, with large and developed chest, wide hips and a waist, that while couldn't be classified as hourglass, but definitely looked most appealing and slim. And while all this was enough to draw interest from most, what startled Henry and froze him up, was the face of the woman, with her eyes and hair.

Greenish bright eyes, with luscious red hair… And a face of one Lily Potter.

Shaking slightly, he began to take steps away from them, causing those the three to get worried. With a bit of shaking voice, Henry spoke.

"Wh-who i-is this?" He spoke, with his voice dripping with both fear and anger, with Regulus and Arcturus taking place in front of now slightly frightened woman. "Wh-what game are you pl-playing with me?! What is Lily fucking Potter doing in here?!"

"Harry, please, you need to calm down." Arcturus spoke to him, with his tone being that of placation, but to no avail.

"I should've k-known… I-It's just another one of those n-nightmares…" He said in a somewhat delusional way, now scaring those near him. "I'm in my cell in Azkaban, with dementors deciding to torment me again… H-how very clever of th-them, but foolish… I-I now know what th-that this is all th-their work, and i-it won't work on me anymore!" He cried out, when he suddenly reached behind him and took an iron rod, used for the fire place.

Arcturus, Regulus and the red-haired woman immediately reached out to their wands and were even ready to fire disarming and stunning spells, when he began to march upon them with a crazed look. Just as he was just a couple of meters away from them, Cassiopeia and Rose barged into the room, looking worried. When they saw Henry going towards the Blacks, Cassiopeia reacted immediately, getting her wand out and sending a spell.

"_Confundus Reversio!_" The next second, Henry blinked a couple of times, before dropping the rod and nearly slumping onto the floor, only to be caught by Regulus.

"Wh-What… What happened…" He said, as the conscience had returned to him. "I was just opening the door, and then…"

"I feared that this might happen." Cassiopeia motioned Regulus to sat Henry onto a sofa, before she handed him a calming draught, which he drank. "Former prisoners of Azkaban, especially those that have been placed in the most dementors-infested areas for a very long time, have been known to lapse into a demented state when confronted with something that could agitate extremely negative emotions. In that state, they believe that they are still in prison, and all they see is just another bad memory. It's something akin to being confounded to the extreme level."

"In other words, he had such reaction because of her." Arcturus looked at the red-head, who looked a little bit ashamed at the moment. "Do not take it personally, and don't feel any shame, as you are not to blame. You do bear an uncanny resemblance to the woman that has made his childhood and life miserable. Cassiopeia, is it curable?"

"It's more in the lines of mind and psychology, a muggle science for soul and mind trouble. Best I can prescribe are rest, recovery and, once I can see that he is well enough, restoration of his Occlumency shields. After that, there won't be any relapses, and for now, Henry will be fine, but just in case, we'll be keeping you company." Cassiopeia said, with her and Rose taking seats on right and left of Henry respectably.

Once he had calmed down and his head had cleared up, Henry looked up at the woman again, now taking in on her appearance and features with greater detail. It was now that he could see the definite differences between this woman and Lily Potter. Her hair were not like that of Weasley red, but instead were of a deep red, close to crimson and scarlet color, flowing down past her neck. Her facial features were softer and more refined in a way, but not diminishing her beauty. Her eyes, however, were actually not green, but more along the lines of blue, with lighting showing them in a more greenish way. She looked at him with a concerned look, before Henry spoke directly to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean or want to harm you in any way, and I apologize for scaring you." He said with a bow to her. "And… I am sorry to have mistaken you for… For my mother." Henry nearly spat that word out, though none seemed all that concerned about it.

"It is alright, dear. I was only worried about you there." She smiled to him softly, as they all sat down. "And I am not offended by this. Regulus did say that you might do so, and I'm sorry to have startled you. Now, I am sure that introductions are in order now. Regulus, do you mind doing the honors?"

"Of course, dear." He nodded to her, turning to Henry. "Henry James, I would like to introduce you to my wife and mother of my children, Faye Rosemary Black, nee Stewart. Faye, this is Henry James, formerly Potter, and son of Lily."

"Yes, as I've gathered already." She said turning to look at Henry, who had a somewhat surprised look to himself. "Why the surprised look, dear? Or are you that surprised to finally see your first relative on mother's side?" She gave him a slightly sly smile.

"Mother's… What are you talking about? She is a muggleborn witch, with no ties to the wizarding world before." Henry objected, with Arcturus almost snorting at this one.

"And yet she struts around like she is one of us… As much as I would like to admit this to be falsehood, Freya speaks the truth, boy." Arcturus admitted to him. "Lillian Potter, or as she was once known by her birth name, Freya Lillian Stewart, was actually born to William James Stewart and Maria Guinevere Stewart, nee Prewett, our Faye's older sister, and a fully pureblooded Witch, with her being a descendant of founders of Illvermony Magical Academy and even Godrik Gryffindor, if rumors are to be true."

"How come she still claims to be a muggleborn, if she has such a strong line? And how come this is the first time I ever heard of this?" Henry asked of them, with Faye answering to him.

"Because she really was raised by the Muggles, and our family had refused to take her back." She told him. "When Lily was 5 years old, I was around 3 years old at the time, our parents have taken her to visit our mother's family, Prewetts. Sadly, their trip ended in a tragedy. They had been killed by the supporters of Voldemort, for their refusal to become part of his then forming group. Lily managed to somehow survive, and was placed into an orphanage and later adopted into an Evans family, though we had believed her to be also dead. I was raised by the provisional Head of my House, my father's younger brother, as I was now recognized as the Heiress of House Stewart, and he was my Regent. As the last will of my mother, I went to Hogwarts instead of Illvermony, where I had found my sister Freya, or as she now called herself, Lily."

"Initially, I was elated and happy to have met my older sister and had even written home about her. Lily seemed so delighted and happy, especially when I told her of our status as Heiresses." Faye continued. "When my uncle had found out from me about Lily, he had come to Hogwarts. She had always remembered of her magical origins, but she didn't know of us being Heiresses, but when she had learned, it changed her, for the worse. Our uncle had recognized her as Freya Stewart, but he didn't hurry to recognize her as the Heiress instead of me. He told me later that he felt her to be not well suited for that role, and had opted to wait until her graduation from Hogwarts 'till making the decision. Unfortunately for her, one thing had destroyed any and all possibilities of her being taken back into family: you, Henry."

"You mean…" Then it came to him. "She got knocked up by James Potter in her 6th year, out of wedlock. I became the reason she was exiled from the family, am I correct."

"Yes." Faye confirmed to him. "She was stripped of the names of Stewart and Prewett, and after that, we fell out, very badly. I've already been in bad relations with Potter and his friends, despite being sorted into Gryffindor, but after that, it had gotten really bad, to the point that I had nearly ended up in hospital because of a Grim attacking me. Had it not been for Regulus here, I don't even know what would've happened to me."

"Sounds just about right about Marauders, wouldn't surprise if she used them to take revenge on you." Henry sighed, before turning his eye to Regulus. "I'll take a wild guess and say that you two have been together since then, am I right?"

"Earlier, actually. We've been in the same year, and though we got sorted into different Houses, Faye was my first real friend in Hogwarts. Someone, who saw not a younger brother of Sirius Black, or a true Heir of Black, or a snake, but Regulus Black, a shy, scared and overly pressured kid with too much on his mind. She always stood up for me before others, often going against her own House, and… Well it wasn't long until we fell for each other. That incident with Sirius attacking had been the catalyst for us to confess to each other." He looked with a loving gaze at his wife, until his façade had saddened and he let out a sigh. "But, as one would expect with the family like mine, it wasn't all sunshine and flowers for us."

"You mean your family didn't support your choice?" He glanced at Arcturus, who had a scowl upon his visage.

"My idiot of a son, Orion, and that demented hag, Walburga, had somehow gotten in their heads that the best for Regulus, was to become bootlicker for Voldemort." He angrily spat out the name, disgust and rage coming out him. "Fools… It was bad enough that Sirius had turned his back on our name and traditions, and then those two had the gall to practically sell their last son to that half-blooded bastard as a _minion_! No Black has ever kneeled or bowed to any self-styled Lord or Lady, neither Dark, nor Light. Our House has always stood apart from it all, yet those two imbeciles had forced our last male Heir to be branded as a slave." Arcturus' rant had cleared something up for Henry, though he still had some questions, which Regulus decided to answer.

"Back then, I was… A different man, not like what I am now. I won't deny it, Henry. I did take the Dark Mark upon my flesh and was proud of it." He rolled up his sleeve on the left arm, showing a nasty looking burn, right where his Mark had been. "Before I had burnt it off myself, I did it out of my freewill, to please my parents and to hopefully get their approval for my and Faye's marriage. I honestly thought that it would for the best to us all…"

"And I did tell you that you shouldn't have done it, Reg." Faye said to him in a sad tone, with him nodding to her, while she continued. "After we've finished Hogwarts, our relationship, with Regulus' parents' obsession with Voldemort and Regulus taking the Dark Mark, it nearly had fallen apart, especially when I learned of what Death Eaters were actually doing. It was too much and I pleaded and begged Regulus to give it all up and run away with me, but sadly…"

"Sadly, I was a damn dumb git to listen to the woman I loved. Only after I actually went on my first mission did I realize just _what _I now was a part of." He closed his eyes, seeing the scene happening before his eyes once again, before continuing. "My parents had always told me about the purity of blood and how muggles were vermin, and while I didn't enjoy them, I didn't wish any harm to them. I simply didn't give a damn about them, but that night, when I saw what my cousin Bellatrix and her husband were doing to those kids… It was then that I understood that I _need _to get out of them."

"And so you escaped, faking your death?" Henry asked of him, with Regulus shaking his head.

"Not quite. About a week after, Voldemort had ordered me to lend him my house elf, Kreacher, for whatever reason. I didn't know what it was for, but something told me, that I shouldn't have done so, and when I called him back, I learned something that I shouldn't have." Regulus said to Henry. "Kreacher told me about a cave with a black lake, infested by inferi inside of it, and a rock in the middle of it with a basin, filled with poison. And on the bottom of that poisonous basin, was hidden a locket. A locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin and has been turned by Voldemort into something that was against the very nature of things. You know what I am talking, Henry."

"A Horcrux." Henry said with a mortified voice, with Regulus nodding to him. "That's why Amelia said it was you who would help me with Horcruxes. You were the one who found out about them first, didn't you?"

"Yes, and to make up for my mistake of taking that damned Mark, went to that cave. Kreacher had guided me there, and I've managed to get around the traps, thanks to what he told me of them. However, after I emptied the basin and switched the locket with a fake one, I didn't account for Voldemort taking into consideration that someone would actually get this far." Regulus told Henry. "Before I knew it, inferi had surrounded me and began to drag me to the bottom of the lake. I had ordered Kreacher to take the locket and apparate out of there, but… It turned out that my house elf had some additional orders in regards to me." He sent a look to Arcturus, with Henry understanding what he meant.

"You ordered Kreacher to transport Regulus to you, should his life be in danger?" Henry asked of him, with Arcturus nodding to it.

"I would've been a poor Head of the House if I let one of the last _relatively_ sensible Blacks to die on my watch." Arcturus stated as a matter of a fact. "After Kreacher informed me about this entire business with Horcrux, I've made preparations, contacting Dorea and Charlus, knowing that they would be the best to deal with Horcrux. When Regulus appeared with the locket, all was ready, and your grandparents have done their part excellently. And now it was the time for me to deal with my prodigal grandson."

"He told me that after this entire debacle with Voldemort and Death Eaters, I could no longer stay in England." Regulus continued. "I had a choice to make: either I leave Britain, and start a separate branch of House Black in different country, or I stay and die. Since I knew that if I stayed, either Voldemort or my own parents would kill me after they found out about my treachery. And so I chose to leave it all behind, with Faye. It took a great deal of apologies, but we finally were happy and out of country, together."

"And the fact that I was with our first child had helped to stir this idiot in the right direction." Faye giggled a little, before deciding to finish their tale. "We moved to Salem, with Regulus and me marrying right after we arrived. Members of my House didn't take lightly the choice of my groom, but I made a compromise: I gave up my right as Heiress to my Uncle, as he had quite a few children and grandchildred already, while allowing me and our children to remain as part of House Stewart through me. He agreed to it, and after that, we've enjoyed near 16 years of peace and happiness. I became a happy mother of 5, two sons and three daughters, while Regulus here has made a splendid career first as an Auror in MACUSA, and after 10 years of distinguished service, he became a Teacher of Defense against the Dark Arts in Illvermony. He was even awarded Order of Merlin Third Class for his service good service, as well as saving his entire class from dementors when they were on their trip to Britain a couple years ago." Regulus didn't look shy or ashamed at all, simply chuckling to it.

"Don't bloody know why the hell Ministry sent those damn things out to catch Pettigrew, but long story short, a big chunk of them picked up on my students and tried to snack on them. A Patronus and a diplomatic crisis later, and I got me a whole new medal." Regulus simply stated, with Henry chuckling to it. "Anyway, I wish it was the last time I actually had to visit Britain. But… It would seem that there is no rest for the wicked. While I may've burnt off my Mark and was no longer connected to Him, I somehow _knew_ that something was wrong and there was a storm coming. And it came, when two weeks ago, Grandfather here had appeared in our home and told me and Faye just two words: He is back."

"As much I may loath Pollux and his spawn Cygnus, I do have a semblance of tolerance for his youngest daughter, Narcissa, as she is a Black, though a failed one at that. I do keep in touch with her, mostly out of curtecy. Nothing like our relations with Andromeda, but still…" Arcturus spoken up in his authoritative voice. "We sometimes exchange letters, with her being interested in her sister Andromeda's life and other things. A day after that tournament had ended; I've received a letter, in which she had suddenly decided to ask me for sanctuary for her and her son Draco. Her reasoning was enough for me to realize that the job Regulus and you've done separately was not enough. If he has returned, than that could only mean one thing: he has more than two Horcruxes."

"And until all of them are found and destroyed, the half-blooded bastard won't finally die." Henry concluded, before letting out a sigh. "You want me to find them and destroy them, just like Amelia does. But what I would like to understand is why you are so interested in this, Grandfather. Call it a lapse of stupidity, but do enlighten me. Same goes for you too, Regulus."

"As you wish, but I expect that lapse to be the only one I see from you, Henry." Arcturus sternly told him. "Apart from the fact that I have no desire to kneel and throttle before anyone, there is also the fact that he has become an enemy to House Black with what he has done. He made Bellatrix into a rabid dog that deserves only to be put down for good. Because of him, I saw an entire generation of House Black destroy our pride and smirch our honor with mud. He had the gall to make members of my House into his slaves with that mark of his. But worst of all, he _dared _to spill _my_ _blood_! First, with my grandsons Michael and Gabriel, then with my son Marius, and he finished it with my dear daughter Dorea. I've fought and killed Wizards and Witches that have done me less, but this coward has certainly made himself an enemy of House Black. And until I see his broken, bleeding heap of a body lying before my feet, begging for mercy, I will not rest. And as for Dumbledore, that man is just as guilty for my House's misfortunes, as is his creation, so he deserves my ire and wrath. Is that a reason good enough for you, boy?"

"Quiet." Henry nodded, turning to Regulus, who spoke up.

"Apart from what he said already, there is more for me to lose this time if he wins. If he is allowed to win, then he won't stop at Britain, or Europe. He won't rest until everyone has submitted to him, both the Magical and Mundane Worlds would bow to him, or burn for him. And make no mistake, Henry, he doesn't give a damn about Purebloods, Half-Bloods or Muggleborns. He only wants one thing: power. And he'll either subjugate, or destroy anyone who might pose even the slightest threat." Regulus said to Henry. "I thought I had finished him off with his Horcrux and I had thought it was the end. But, after what Rose here has shown me, I understood that… That I had to see this through, to the end. And this is not just because of a notion of guilt over what I did, and believe me, I regret it every single day of my life."

"No, it's about making sure that this son of an inbred squib and some never had to haunt the lives of my children. It's about putting a stop to the monster that Albus Dumbledore had made and is incapable of putting down." Regulus said with determination and strength. "While Gryffindors may be too afraid of even saying his name, and those so-called snakes are ready to kiss his arse, I for one would like to remove him once and for all, him and Dumbledore, along with his posy of phoenix loving idiots. A true Slytherin doesn't bow and fear in front of a threat, but eliminates it through guile, cunning and determination to achieve his ambitions. I say it's time to put them to good use here. Does that satisfy your curiosity, nephew?"

"It does." Henry agreed with him. "Alright, I was already sold on having to deal with them both. I just needed to know why you all want it so badly, can't work with those that aren't in 'till the bitter end." Arcturus actually chuckled at this one.

"Finally, it would seem the grandson I was hoping to get out of Azkaban is showing himself at last." Arcturus commented, before changing the subject back to business. "We have less than two months before the next year in Hogwarts starts, so we best make most of that time. Cassiopeia and Rose will oversee your full recovery, while Regulus and I will finish whatever education you've started out in Hogwarts. As for our lovely Faye here, she will do whatever she wishes to do with you in whatever capacity she sees fit. And in the meantime, boy, I expect you to put that mind of yours to good use."

"Will do, but what is this about the deadline? Is Regulus will be going back to Illvermony?" Regulus let out a frustrated sigh, before answering that one.

"I wish, but fate decided to deny me that pleasure…" He stated with strained voice. "Remember Faye told you about the incident with dementors? Dumbledore has caught a whiff of it and my continued existence on the other side of the globe. When he found out about me being a Professor of DADA with near 6 years' worth of experience and 10 years as an American Auror, he decided to add me into his staff as the next Professor of DADA."

"Can't you decline? You are a member of the American Magical Society, not British one, not to mention you've been in Illvermony for such a long time." Rose asked of him, with Regulus shaking his head.

"Had this been purely up to me, I would've sent him to him to kiss his phoenix's bottom, but… Current President of MACUSA wishes to strengthen relations between our communities, and as a part of this diplomacy, there is an exchange of teaching experience, added at the suggestion of his respected friend Albus Dumbledore. And so I, as a born Brit, former student of Hogwarts _and _one of the best DADA Professors, was _asked _to represent America and its education program in Hogwarts." Regulus stated to them. "To make the matters even worse, I am to also move back to Britain with my whole family, and three out four of our kids will be in Hogwarts this year, being _invited _there as exchange students. Under normal circumstances, I would've portested to this assignment, but... The President _and _Headmaster of Illvermony have made it clear to me, that this was not something to be discussed or disputed. I suspect that Dumbledore had used some kind of a leverage on them both, which is something quite in his style."

"As much as it may seem to be a detriment to us, this is actually something we will be able to use to our advantage." Arcturus said in a thoughtful manner. "With Regulus so close to Dumbledore, we will have an additional source of information about his actions and schemes, plus a channel to Voldemort's cohorts through Snape and their children. In addition to that, we will have all of Death Eaters' children well within targeting range."

"You are not suggesting using innocent children as hostages and leverages, Lord Black, are you?" Faye looked utterly appalled and horrified at the idea. "If you do this, then how are you better than Voldemort and Dumbledore?"

"There is no need to _actually _make them into ones, Faye." Henry spoke up, getting her attention. "Just a hint or a notion of it will be enough for any Death Eater with an Heir or Heiress in Hogwarts to think twice about their actions. Though, you might want to get rid of the curse placed on that posting, just for your own health."

"It's actually a curse?" Regulus blinked a couple of times. "Shit and I thought it was just a very unlucky post to be in. Anything about the curse I might need to know of, and how did you figure it out?"

"Read 'Dark Lasting Curses' by Corvinus Lestrange and you'll get the gist of it. As for how, just seemed to be the only sensible and logical thing possible with it." Henry explained to everyone, and would've continued, had they not heard the Floo lit up, and a loud thud with loud cursing followed after that.

As everyone stood up and walked towards the source of the vulgar language and noise, none were all too surprise to see who the progenitor of it all was. Right outside of the Floo place was plastered on the floor Nymphadora Tonks, who was now rising up on her feet and muttering to herself, caring naught that she might be heard.

"I swear it's like every fucking Floo is out there to get me." She said as she dusted herself off, before seeing everyone. "Oh, wotcher everyone! What, never seen a Metamorphomagus plastered up on the floor with her bum up in the air?"

"Only every other day with you. The rest of time it's seeing you on your bum and your braless knockers out in the open from your blouses." Henry replied, with Faye and Rose giving him scandalized looks, while Nymphadora openly laughed at that one.

"Blimey, Harry, that's a good one." She looked at him with a smile on her face. "Now you are starting look like a man again, though you could do with some more meat and coloring, but it's definitely a _great _improvement over what I saw in Azkaban. Also, did my knockers keep you awake at nights, or did they warm you in to sleep~?" She asked in a bit of sultry tone.

"I'll neither deny, nor admit that one." Harry simply stated to her. "But I will admit that I did think of you far more than of any other girl of my year or close one from Hogwarts."

"Oh really, I must've left quite the impression on you, if you couldn't get me out of your thoughts." Nym practically winked at him.

"Well, it is _hard _to get the girl out of your mind, especially since she had landed with her soft bum on top of me in her last year, after slipping on a wet floor." Henry gave her a small smirk. "And the fact that your girls smothered me like there was no tomorrow didn't help the matter."

"Are they always... _that_ way to each other, or is this something like a special occasion for them?" Faye asked of Rose, who shrugged her shoulders at that one.

"Honestly, I don't even know with these two." Rose honestly admitted. "I thought at first they were a thing, but then they didn't turn out as such, but then they always would get all sultry and open about it all. Personally, I think that these two kids need to finally grow up and ask each other out, or in extreme case, just find a free room and get all the tension worked out of their system."

"That's… Not a very healthy way for a 14 year old to think." Regulus admitted out loud, while Harry and Nym continued their chatting/flirting. "Lyra is the same age, and all I hear her talk and think about are the cute boys, new fashionable clothing and other normal stuff. You on the other hand…"

"I've lived in a house where aside from my big brother, the most affectionate person towards me was a house elf. I've learned pretty early on that I didn't mean much to my parents and that all I was for them was just someone to sell off like cattle." Rose bitterly told him. "Like Harry, if I didn't grow up fast, I wouldn't be able to live past what they had done to me." She rubbed her left arm.

"And… It doesn't concern you that they are, well, related?" Faye asked of Rose, who shook her head.

"What really bothers me is that my brother a walking girls' magnet, at least he was. I don't want him to catch himself some empty-headed bimbo with just long legs and big bust to show. With Nym, she's got both the body, and the mind, and I know that she'd take really good care of him. So nope, doesn't really concern me." Rose stated in an unnaturally adult way, with Cassiopeia casting the stunned Faye a slight smirk.

"I see that Aunt Cassiopeia has been having a very profound effect upon you." Regulus commented.

"You will have all the time in the world to chat and flirt with each other later." Arcturus stopped the two, getting their universal attention. "Nymphadora, what news do you bring about the Order? Did they believe that Henry is dead?"

"Oh they believed that one alright, Old Man. So much so, in fact, that I had to restrain myself from strangling them when they all had those happy grins on their faces." Nymphadora said with disgust. "Nobody had questioned anything, although McGonagall seemed really upset about your death, while Moody was outright livid and furious. Apparently, you were one of Minnie's favorite students, even considered as her replacement in the future, Harry."

"Fat chance of that ever happening. As much as I may respect Minerva for her teaching skills and experience, she had allowed her entire House to run amok with bullying, pranks and debauchery in some cases." Harry crossed his arms on his chest. "She's got her head so deep in Dumbledore's arse that she didn't even give a shit about me being abused and harassed not just Gryffindor, but also Slytherin and even my own Head of the House, no matter how many times I had tried pleading to her for help. Her response was always the same: inform Snape, and have him deal with Slytherin, while Gryffindors get away with a slap on the wrist. And that man has _always _hated my guts just because I was a bloody Potter and the reason, in his twisted mind, he lost Lily Potter. It was so bad, that I had to pass my Potions' OWL and NEWT with Horace Slughorn on my Christmas holidays in my 5th and 7th year."

"Yeah, I get you." Nym agreed with him. "I did almost lose it when Potters began to badmouth Auntie Dorea, though…"

"What did that imbecile, his whore, and their spawn had to say about her?" Arcturus asked in a cold and dangerous tone of voice.

"That she was prideful, spiteful and a generally a bad person. Even accused her of making Henry making a Dark Wizard." Nym told them, with Harry snorting at this one. "Alastor didn't listen to that for long, and had slapped Lily and punched James before dressing them both down for what they said about her and you. By the way, care to tell me why you've never mentioned that Moody has been training you, hm?"

"Because it's Moody, and you know how he is." Harry simply said to her, with Nym nodding to him.

"Yeah, sounds about right." She let out a sigh. "He also told me that he knows about Rose and her being with House Black. Think we might have to thank him for cleaning up any tracks we might've left. From what I gathered, he's not too happy with the Order, Dumbledore, and most of all, with Potters, so I've decided to try and get him on our side. Think he might be with us, Harry?"

"Honestly, I would've been surprised if he wasn't with us sooner or later. The man often told me about my grandparents and how James with Lily utterly disgraced what they had built." Harry simply stated to Nym, with her pulling out her jacket a prolonged clothed object, before giving it to Harry. "Did you buy me a wand in the Knockturn Alley?"

"Nope, this one's from Moody. Open up." She smiled to him, as Harry opened it up, only to see his good old wand, with a look of surprise written on his face. "He managed to get before it was snapped from someone in charge of it. I've checked, and there's nothing of any sort of trace or tracking charm on it, Ministry put or otherwise. For all intense and purposes, this wand has been long snapped and burned in the boiling rooms."

"Hm, 14 inches, Red Oak, really good wood, best used in duels and fights." Faye commented in a knowledgeable way. "Usually it's used with Unicorn Hair, making the spells more consisted, but I heard Dragon Heartstring is actually a better match, since it increases the power of spells, with Red Oak already being very good at stabilizing the spells."

"Ollivander told me the same thing when I got me this wand in his shop." Harry said in a bit of nostalgic way, holding his wand and watching it, before lowering it. "Thank you, Nym. When you see, Moody, tell him that I owe him a big one."

"Hey, you are a family to me and my folks so don't mention it." Nym smiled softly to him. "Black Family always together, in best of times and through the worst of them, as Mom likes to tell me."

"It is actually comforting that at least one of Cygnus' daughters remembers what being a Black actually means, unlike her older and younger sisters." Arcturus commented out loud. "One is nothing more than a loyal attack dog, who married into our historically rivaling family, while the other has chosen a _Malfoy_ for her husband and has birthed a weak-willed, gullible buffoon, who doesn't even understand what being a true Slytherin means. And she had the mordacity to call him _Draco, _a name reserved for the powerful and strong-willed member of our family, not a cowering, throttling, arse-kissing _Malfoy_." Arcturus practically spit that name out of his mouth.

"Never quite understood what your problem with the Malfoy family is. They are an old family, almost as old as us Blacks, and they are purebloods. And yet, when it comes down to respect, I saw you treat 'Dromeda's husband like he is a pureblood himself, while Lucius is like the lowest mudblood in your eyes." Regulus commented out loud.

"Yeah, what gives, Grandpa? Not that I'm complaining, but it's just kinda bonkers that you and my Dad actually get along, since, well, he's a muggleborn." Nym asked of him, Arcturus with curiosity.

"As much as I may've preferred Andromeda's husband to be someone from a strong Ancient and Noble House, this one is an exception. Your mother may not have told you, but that idiot Cygnus had tried to marry her off to the younger of Lestranges, therefore squandering a very good possibility for future alliances, since it would doing us no favors to have both of Black daughters in married into one family." Arcturus spoke up. "I've always disliked the Lestrange family, especially those two brothers. Obviously, your mother had been against it, as she was already seeing your father, which soon became public knowledge. In any other circumstances, I would've long made sure Edward had disappeared for good, but then, something had occurred that had changed my opinion of him. Rabastan, if that's his name, after having a good bit of drinks, decided to _claim _Andromeda's honor and innocence for himself, and was close to doing so, had it not been for Edward and his vicious spell casting. Lestranges were livid, with Rabastan even going to as far as to duel Edward in public for Andromeda. The look on that mutt's face when he was soundly beaten and defeated by Edward still brings a smile to my face."

"Wow, I knew that my dad had been a Hit Wizard for long time after Hogwarts and even thought to become an Auror, but to go so far for Mom…" Nym sounded amazed, with Regulus looking impressed as well. "Guess I now understand where I go my badass side from…"

"Rabastan may've not been in the same leagues as Dolohov, Snape, Bella, or even his older brother Rodolphus, but he was no pushover either. I saw him once duel a pair of Aurors and he made it look almost easy, and those Aurors were not greenies, but definitely with a few years and bodies behind their ears." Regulus commented, before turning to Arcturus. "You always did admire and like those that stood up for our family members, didn't you? Even if they are not of noble descent."

"Why else would do you think I'd ever give Andromeda my blessing to marry him, as well as bless your and Faye's marriage?" Arcturus asked of him. "Being ready to stand and fight for what you care and love, as well as not backing down is a mark of a strong character, something Lucius Malfoy, nor his father Abraxas could never do. Edward may not have been the most suitable candidate for Andromeda's hand at the beginning, but I've grown to respect him, as him being a husband to Andromeda has brought in strong blood and magic in form of you, Nymphadora."

"Always one to care about the strength of our blood, eh Gramps?" Nym chuckled, before she felt one of her pockets getting warm, making her reach out for it and pull out a folded parchment. "Hold up a sec, I'm getting a message from Bones. Give me a few sec to read and reply to her." She also took out a small self-inked quill and read the message

"What is it, some kind of two-way connected communication parchment?" Henry asked no one in general, with Regulus answering to this one.

"It's called Instant Message Parchment, or Imp for short, and it works a bit more complex than that. These Parchments are connected with each and every other parchment of same kind, so you can send a message to various people, including in multiple numbers, if they have this kind of Parchment. The way it works is that each wizard that has it fills the role of a receiver to parchment by writing his or her name next to the term Receiver. If it wants to send a message one or more people, he writes first to whom the message is sent next to Send to Whom, and then the message itself. After that you say 'Message delivered' and it disappears once you read it, or you say 'Message ready' and it gets sent." Regulus explained the entire concept. "It's a really popular thing in the Americas and lots of other countries, and it has been around since the late 1930s. MACUSA, Illvermony and many other magical establishments use them as an effective alternative to owls, since they are easy to make, get the message within a second's time and cost just a few Knuts more than a normal parchment. Most, if not all, of my students in Illvermony use them to write home to their parents."

"The why the hell doesn't Britain have something like that already? This sound like something Ministry would die for to have, not to mention all the Hogwarts kids." Henry asked in bewilderment after hearing of such a useful and practically dirt cheap thing.

"No offence, Henry, but when it comes to technological and social developments, Magical Britain is seen by most other countries as a backwater and even antiquated country, a stubborn old man, that refuses to get on with the times." Regulus admitted to Henry. "Most of the magical communities around the globe are making sure to keep up with the times, adapting and accepting more of Mundane World's traditions, technologies and concepts. Even this Parchment is a response to the mass-production of radio and telephones by Non-Magicals, which relay information at far greater speeds. And that's only the small part of the advancements, both in technologies and in societies. Right now, most of the worlds' Wizards enjoy equal rights, be they Mundane-born, or Half-Bloods, or Purebloods, and it is absolutely okay with everyone, not to mention that the entire concept of hating Non-Magicals for who they are has long become _really_ unpopular. Only Britain persists and refuses to get on with the times. To be quite honest with you, the Ministry, British Wizards and Witches, and Hogwarts are now seen by most as jokes. The only reason why no one openly states that is a semblance of respect to Britain, for it's place in history of Magic."

"Somehow, I am not even surprised to hear that." Henry commented to him, turning his attention to Tonks, who had finished reading the message and wrote the response back.

"Message ready." And after that she looked up and spoke up. "Okay, I've got us some good news and some bad news. Don't ask me to start with bad, I'll start with good first. Harry, did you know that your grandparents had actually made you Lord Potter instead of James, and that you are actually the rightful Head of House Potter and all their assets, including all their money and stuff?"

"Of course not. Had I known about that, I would've long kicked James, Lily and Will out of the House and Family." Henry stated to her. "I always assumed that Charlus and Dorea left no last will, so James was the inheritor of it all, and there was no reason to doubt. I mean the man had spent 2500 Galleons once just to have _a broom_ be made for him. He knows nothing about earning them, only how to spend them in outrageous amounts. If he wasn't the Lord Potter, then where did he get the money?"

"He was probably spending the money from House Fleamont's vault, to which he was entitled to after Charlus' death as per his last will." Cassiopeia spoke up. "Dorea told me that he had wanted to have all of his sons well off after their passing, so he decided to revive both the Peverell and Fleamont Houses, through Gabriel and James respectably, but we all know how it ended up now."

"And while Wizengamot may've recognized James as Lord Potter, the Family Magic and Goblins do not see him as one." Arcturus looked at Henry. "I should've known that Charlus and Dorea wouldn't leave you without the inheritance. It is, however, strange that the accountant of Potters in Gringotts didn't inform you about your status, nor did you receive any monthly updates on your assets and wealth. I suspect the hand of Dumbledore and Potters in this."

"Yeah, and while this is good, here's the bad bit of news." Nym spoke up again. "Now that they believe you are dead, they are planning to take a trip to Gringotts in a few days and get William recognized as next Head of House Potter, with his parents as Regents. If they go there, they'll know that Henry is alive and kicking."

"Damn it, and that's not something that we need at this moment." Henry cursed under his breath, before turning to Cassiopeia. "Aunt Cassie, am I good enough in your book for travels outside of mansion?"

"Well, normally I wouldn't permit it, but since we are having an emergency, I'll give you a strengthening potion, along with few of my own making, so you'll be good to go." Cassiopeia received a nod from Henry. "I'm assuming that you have some sort of plan in your head already forming? Do I need to remind you, that whatever grievances and grudges you have with the Potters are insignificant in the face of preserving your status as a legally dead man?"

"I know." Henry growled out a little, but calmed down a little bit quickly enough. "Could you get them here so we can depart as soon as possible, along with robes for outside walk, if you may?"

"I will, dear. But, make a habit out of that, Harry, and I'll make sure that next time I have to treat you, you'll have no painkillers. I am Europe's finest mediwitch and Potions Mistress, not a house elf." She reminded him in Black's usual manner, accompanied by pride and strength, before leaving with Rose to get it all.

"Grandfather, I might need some assistance there, so if you could…"

"I have my own matters to attend to in the Ministry." Arcturus cut him immediately at that one, before speaking up again. "Regulus and Faye will accompany you to Gringotts. They will be sufficient enough in filling in any gaps in banking matters that you may have. However, while I do believe that you'll be able to reign your emotions and feelings when dealing with this matter, tell us, what _exactly _are you planning on doing?"

Henry took a long breath, formulating his plan of actions. As much as he was elated and glad that he was Lord Potter and the true Head of the House, right now it would really do well that he wasn't. He had to truly put aside his own personal hatred for Potters, or he would risk everything before the game even started. No, he couldn't let his emotions take hold, as this was not a Slytherin way. A snake doesn't d strike a warned prey, only the one that is completely unaware of the looming danger. And for this reason, it doesn't hiss or make its presence known in other ways, until it's time for the strike.

He would have to do so as well.

* * *

**Did promise that it would be soon enough and here you have it. I know that some of you may not like so much exposition, but that is essential for my story here, so bear with me. Plus, we've finally gotten us the backstory of Regulus and even met his wife, who is (much to everyone's shock), a true sister of Lily Potter. Another one of those tropes done to death, I believe, but… I am a sucker for them.**

**Now, on to some of the possible questions.**

**1\. Royal Sorcerer and Sorceress. I think it would not only be plausible, but actually in the realm of possibility that England's Monarchs would employ Wizards and Witches in matters of magical nature. So, in here, they do so since the days of King Arthur, and they are of the most respectable positions in Wizarding World, which are only given at the recommendation of the previous Sorcerer and Sorceress. They serve for a period of time, for the duration of their service, and they uphold a magical oath, to serve in the interests of the Crown and England first. Charlus and Dorea had served as Royal Sorcerer and Sorceress from 1943 till 1952, having received praise and honors as Sir and Dame respectably for their actions.**

**2\. House Stewart. If you know the history of Illvermony, Isolde Sayer and her husband, muggle James Stewart, you'll know to whom this House is connected to. As for Lily being exiled from it, the reasoning for it was her giving birth out of wedlock, which is a capital offence and shame in magical community and is a reason enough to be kicked out of the House. Plus, Faye had been raised, trained and molded with the mentality of a good future Head of the House, so it was not only an acceptable loss for House Stewart, but even a favorable one. And while Faye may've also gotten pregnant while being unwed, she did wed the father of child, and given up her position of Heiress and Head. While regrettable, not all that tragic, since House Stewart has plenty members to not feel threatened. Oh, and that Prewett part… Yeah, guess for yourself what that means ;)**

**3\. Regulus Black. Now, I was debating on what to make of Regulus, until I've settled on him being someone who has moved on with his life and became a fully grown person. You'll find out that, unlike Sirius, James, even Remus and others, he actually has grown past his teenage enmities and dislikes, and has made a good life. Him being an Auror was because of him having wanted to make up for his past mistakes by serving the people as their defender, and as for his change in career from a law enforcer to teacher, this one came because of him wishing to be closer to his family and not trouble Faye anymore. He may be more down to the ground and even somewhat easy-going, but underneath his calm and content demeanor, there is a powerful and deadly wizard, ready to do anything for his family. So expect him to clash with Hogwarts's staff regularly. Oh, and don't worry, Umbridge will still be featured…**

**4\. Magical World's advancements and 'evolution'. Honestly, I believe that it is quite possible, if not even probable, that the Magical World wouldn't just stay stagnant and will be making advancements in both technology and in matters of society. And those advancements were actually sped up by Grindelwald and his war, just like the Second World War had practically given a kick to our civilizations' advancements. So, in the rest of the magical world, things are actually quite good for Muggleborns, magical races and half-bloods, with the societies being far more democratic, tolerant and acceptable. To give you, someone like Fleur Delacour, a quarter-Veela, would have far more options for work in France, USA, Italy and so forth, while in Britain, she wouldn't be very lucky. **

**As for why Britain is so backwaters and refuses to advance, here are list of reasons: ineffective government, corruption, extremely high corruption, great power of the higher class (Pureblooded Families), lack of impact of Grindewald's war, general refusal to change status quo. So, in other words, Grindelwald, in his own way, has served the Greater Good of the Magical World and actually made it better (through bloodshed, terror and deaths).**

**Now, I think that answers most questions, but if you have any, feel free to ask them. I would really appreciate you questioning, reviewing, suggesting and simply giving me your opinion on the story, as it helps me make it better.**

**Oh, and just to give you something more. I picture Arcturus Black as looking like Sir Ian McKellen, and Regulus Black, in my own opinion, looks like Bruce Wayne by Christian Bale. If you have your variants as how they should look, let me know.**

**Until later, See ya!**


	4. Chapter 4

**The Leaky Cauldron.**

The Floo place lit up, as through the fires exited Regulus, Faye, Nymphadora and Henry, stepping into the crowded and populated pub. The sound and fires didn't attract any attention whatsoever, since the visitors of this establishment were more than used to it and didn't usually pay any attention to the newcomers. This was good news for the four, as they would prefer to stay undetected, as Faye and Regulus didn't want to draw much attention to them just yet, and hopped to remain unnoticed.

As for their companions, Nymphadora, who had at one point in her life worked here during summer breaks and was a famous Auror already, used her shape-shifting abilities, to change up her appearance to that of a normal looking girl with short black hair and brown eyes. As for Henry, for whom remaining anonymous was paramount, he had donned a black coat with grey embroidery, with black pants and shoes, with a single silver ring on his middle finger of left hand, as a piece of jewelry.

Unknown to most, this was one of the artifacts of House Black, used to cast a very strong glamour charm on the wearer of the ring, to hide its true appearance, while also remaining undetectable by regular magical means. Right now, instead of his long greyish silver hair, pale skin and grey eyes, Henry sported a mane of golden hair, close to that of a Malfoy family member, deep blue eyes and a healthy tone of skin, as well as looking facially as a completely different person completely. This was adequate enough, in Arcturus' and Cassiopeia's opinions, for Henry to use to go into Gringotts, after he has been given the proscribed potions to boost up his health.

Nym quickly looked around and motioned her companions to move with her towards the entrance to the Diagon Alley. Once they were past the majority of the crowd and near the bar, Nymphadora suddenly tripped over one of the empty seats, nearly falling, saved only by Regulus.

"Ugh, thanks." She thanked him, getting her balance back in order. "Blasted stools, never let my pass 'em without getting in my way."

"Tonks, is that you?" Suddenly, the four turned to see Tom, the bartender and owner of the Leaky Cauldron, looking with surprised yes at Nymphadora. "Well, blimey, I almost didn't recognize you without your pink hair. What's up with the new hair and eyes, girl? Oh, could I get you something, since you seem to be off duty?"

"Nah, Tom, thanks, but I'll pass." She waved him off, before motioning to the trio of her companions behind. "I' m just showing some of my dad's friends the way to Diagon Alley, whilst I'm off duty. They're tourists, from America, visiting my old man, and I don't really want to draw much attention to me."

"Oh, we don't get many foreigners around here, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Tom, barman and owner of this establishment. Can I get you anything?" Tom looked with a smile to his potential

"No, thanks, but we are kinda pressed on time, so if you don't mind, we'll be on our way." Regulus politely declined, with the group already leaving the bar and stepping close to the entrance of to Diagon Alley. "She we be worried? I remember that Tom didn't work for the Death Eaters, or sell us information, but I'm not so sure about the Order."

"Nah, we can relax." Tonks calmed him down, before taking out her wand and opening the entrance to the Alley. "I know the guy, and he's not much of an informant or a gossip. He does give the Aurors a couple of tips about criminals and suspects every now and then, sure, but that's just him doing a good deed for us. Other than that, he's not into being an informant, and he's not with the Order, that I'm sure of."

"Let's hope that you are right, Nym." Henry said, as they all stepped into the Alley, making their way through the crowd of wizards, witches and children. "Do you have something similar to that in the US? Or you shop everything in those big malls I've seen once, like all the muggles do these days?"

"There a couple of places like this in the States, with Salem having the St. Walburga's Square, though no big malls like muggles. But, if it's any consolation to you, the assortment of products there is far greater than that of Diagon Alley." Regulus answered, looking at the bustling with life Alley. "And there is _way_ less people wearing robes. To be honest, it's almost bizarre for me to see so many people wearing them, instead of wearing coats, jackets, shirts, etc."

"Yes, and in other countries, save for some of the Eastern European ones, these kinds of robes would be seen as something of an old and terribly outdated fashion choice, to be honest." Faye added, as they passed the book store. "Wizarding kind these days now prefers more comfortable, less cumbersome clothing. Robes are still in use, of course, in the Ministries and other governmental institutions, but only as ceremonial garments for special occasions, like the award ceremonies or the funerals. Most of the times, its business suits, ties, tuxedos and so on that Wizards and Witches wear."

"Sounds like you guys have it quite great with dress code in your States. Wish I could ditch these robes and wear something with a bit more comfort and risqué to it for a change." Nym commented with a bit of a sly smirk of her own on the lips, before they approached the white tall building of Gringotts Bank, stopping at its entrance. "Okay, this is it for me. I best be off and grab what Auntie and Mom had asked of me, while you three deal with our little problem. You _do _know how to deal with it, right, Harry?" She asked of him, with Henry nodding to her.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Henry said to her, with Nym nodding to him, before leaving them. "Regulus, I'm assuming that as a member of House Black, you are entitled to seeing your House's bank accountant, right?"

"Of course, like any member of House Black, but I'm not exactly allowed to perform any serious actions with our fortunes or vaults. That's the prerogative of the Head of the House." Regulus informed Henry, who nodded to him. "But why would you need my House's accountant? We are here to deal with Potter's fortunes, not Blacks. Shouldn't we get the Potter's accountant for… Oh, I see what you mean." Regulus nodded to Henry, while Faye looked confused a little, while they entered into the bank.

"Could either of your explain to me what is that you are about to do?" Faye asked of them in a hushed voice.

"Don't worry, you'll see soon right about now, dear." Regulus said to her, as the trio stepped close to receptionist goblin. "I would like to see the accountant for my House." The goblin looked down from his seat at the one addressing him, before speaking up.

"May I inquire of your identity, Mister?" Goblin half-asked half-snarled at them.

"Black, Regulus Arcturus Black of House of Black." Regulus replied, before motioning at his companions. "With me are my wife, Faye Rosemary Black, nee Stewart, and my distant relative, whose' identity I can't reveal because of the matter of which I am here to attend to." The receptionist nodded to Regulus, with another goblin stepping close to Regulus.

"Very well, but you will have to confirm your identity. Please hand over your wand to the examiner." Regulus did so, giving to the goblin his slightly curved wand, who immediately began to examine it with his own magic.

"Hm, 12 inches, Hawthorn wood, with Sphinx's feather for a core. Made by Mykew Gregorovitch to Regulus Arcturus Black and belongs to said man." The examiner looked at the receptionist and nodded, before returning the wand to its owner. "The wand and the last person to use it are Regulus Arcturus Black."

"Very well." Receptionist said, motioning the examiner off. "Mr. Black, you and your companions may enter the waiting room number 11, where you are to await your House's accountant. However, before you leave, may we inquire as for the reason why your relative utilizes a glamour charm, sir?" Henry's eyes nearly widened when he heard the goblin say that, before Regulus took spoke up.

"Because of the reason we are here, and because this concerns the safety and integrity of Gringotts Bank." Regulus and his companions immediately saw how the goblin's face hardened at the mention of this. "Inform my accountant that this is a matter of paramount importance."

"With all haste, Mr. Black." With that being said, the trio followed to the waiting room 11, where they took the seats at the table on one side and began to wait for the accountant.

"Alright, if I'm not mistaken, we need to see the accountant for House Black because through him Henry will be able to get rid of the Potters' accountant, right?" Faye asked of them, with both nodding to her. "Since he hasn't been sending you any letters about your accounts' status, nor did he inform you of your status as Lord, it's clear that he is not to be trusted, right?"

"Precisely." Henry nodded to his aunt. "Goblins take the matters of banking and money very serious. If someone among them has been withholding on their clients, or worse, working against his client, then it's a shameful stain on their reputation. All I need to do now is prove who I am and explain my situation, and since Gringotts doesn't give two knuts about Wizengamot and its decisions, there won't be any trouble of me getting those accounts."

"Okay, but what _are _you going to do once you have access to them?" Faye asked of him, with Regulus also wanting to know what Henry has planned.

"You'll see." Henry simply replied, as the door into the room opened up and through it came a gruff looking goblin with accountant books, before sitting down in the seat in front of Regulus.

"Mr. Regulus Black." Regulus nodded to him. "I am Fistgrab, the accountant for the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. I have been informed that you've come here with an urgent matter, concerning the safety and integrity of Gringotts Bank. And along with that, I have been also informed that your _relative _is connected to that matter, if I am not mistaken."

"You are correct, Mr. Fistgrab." Regulus spoke up to him. "I believe that you have also noticed that my companion here is using a glamour charm to hide his identity."

"Yes, a very powerful and almost undetectable charm in most cases. But Goblins have a far better sense of magic than most." Fistgrab answered to him. "You can be assured, sir, that any and all secrets you wish to reveal, will not leave me, nor this room. Gringotts prioritizes the safeguarding of their clients' secrets and information, as they are as much assets to them as are gold and jewels." Regulus nodded to him, with Henry taking a deep breath, before removing his ring and revealing his real look to the goblin, who didn't even move a brow at this one.

"Mr. Fistgrab, my name is Henry James Potter, and I have most recently been informed that, according to my grandparents' will, I have been named as the Heir to the Houses of Potter and Peverell." Henry spoke up, with Fistgrab showing no emotions, but listening very carefully to all. "Throughout my life after their death and before my incarceration in Azkaban, I have not received any notification about it, or any updates on the statuses of my vaults and fortunes in them. When I came to Gringotts for my money from the trust fund, the accountant in charge of vaults of Potter, Peverell and Fleamont Houses, Griphook, has failed to inform me in person about my status as Lord of Houses Potter and Peverell."

"Lord Potter-Peverell, what you are implying can be considered to be the highest form of treason in Goblin Nation and is punishable by death in our mines, by endless labor." Fistgrab informed him, remaining calm. "What proof or evidence do you have to support your claim? Because, if you are lying, there will be serious consequences for you and members of your Houses for false accusations of an accountant." Henry nodded to him.

"I, Henry James Potter, swear upon my life and magic, that I have not been informed, nor had any knowledge of my status as Lord of Houses Potter and Peverell, prior to today, and that all said by me in this room is true, and if not, then let magic claim me for my lie." A dim golden glow erupted from Henry, showing that magic accepted his words as truth, with Fistgrab's face hardening with a snarl coming out.

"I see, Lord Potter-Peverell, that your words are true. My apologies for mistrusting you." Fistgrab bowed his head slightly before them, before removing himself from his seat and walking to the door. "Please remain here for the time being, while inform our leadership of this transaction. After that, another accountant shall be with you to sort out any remaining problems and inform you of your possessions and statuses." With that said, Fistgrab apparated out of the room instead of walking out of it, leaving the trio waiting in there.

They had to wait for about half an hour, before the door into their room opened up, and inside walked a richly dressed goblin, with golden rings with jewels and embroidery on his cloths. He carried with him a similar book to that of Fistgrab, while walking with an air of power and dignity. He sat in the same place as Fistgrab, before speaking up directly to Henry.

"Lord Potter-Peverell, I am Ragnok, current Head of the Gringotts Bank in United Kingdom and Ireland." Ragnok introduced himself, placing the book on the table. "As the Head of this establishment, I offer you my sincerest apologies for the rude violation of your rights as the client of Gringotts Bank, as well as the deception you have been made a victim of. The criminal accountant Griphook has been already interrogated and has revealed to us his involvement in this scheme to keep you unaware of your status. He has been acting on behalf of your birth parents, Lord and Lady Fleamont, and has been found guilty of all charges. His sentence is the life labor in our harshest mines. As a compensation for our continued mismanagement of your assets and inability to see the corruption, the Gringotts Bank offers you a 35% discount on all services of Gringotts Bank, along with half the contents of Griphook family's vaults as a monetary compensation. And as to ensure that you may entrust any and all of your assets to Gringotts Bank, I have taken the responsibility as the accountant of Houses Potter and Peverell, with House Fleamont's assents soon being frozen and transferred on your accounts for their Lord and Lady's actions."

"This all very generous of Gringotts Bank, and you have my gratitude for dealing with this violation." Ragnok nodded to Henry. "However, the matter I am here to discuss with you is not something I believe you have dealt with, and I hope that you will be understandable to the nature of my matter and request. With the added benefit of monetary compensation for your services included, of course."

"Hm, you speak like a true Goblin would. I believe that you will make a good client, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok smiled viciously to him. "I am listening."

"I believe you are aware of the fact that I am convicted criminal, that should currently be incarcerated and, as of four days ago, dead in the cell of Azkaban." Henry spoke up, with Ragnok interrupting him.

"We are well aware of your unjust incarceration, as well as the accusations made towards your persona. To Gringotts Bank and Goblins, you are a client, and it is our job to know if the client is a reliable and safe one to operate with." Ragnok informed him. "We have done our research and we have determined that you are innocent and are still considered a reliable client, whilst your birth parents, as well as the participants of your incarceration, have lost the trust of Gringotts as valuable and reliable clients. Your birth parents are now among the most hated clients here, though soon they shall be excluded and banned from Gringotts, along with their son William and any and all of their descendants."

"That is the part of my matter I am here to discuss with you." Henry said to Ragnok. "To the knowledge of the world, and especially those that have sent me in Azkaban, I am dead, and all of my assets have been transferred to my de-facto Heir, or next in line of inheritance, William Potter."

"Apologies, Lord Potter-Peverell, but I will have to correct you." Ragnok interrupted him again, before opening up the book and speaking up. "I am sure you are familiar with Family Magic and Magical Code of House Potter, are you not?"

Henry nodded to him, knowing full well about the Family Magic and the Magical Code of House Potter. Family Magic is the special type of magic that is bound and connected to members of the specific family, increasing the members' power and prowess in certain areas of magic, like Charms, Dark Arts and Transfiguration and so on. There are no detailed explanations as to how the Family Magic is formed or even how it works, but it is theorized that Family Magic is created and strengthened through the members of one bloodline, who each add their own power and even skills into the accumulated pool of magic, which is Family Magic. Family Magic's strength is dependent upon the numbers and powers of the members of the House, as well as their personal skills, talents and achievements. Because of this, Pureblood Wizards and Witches are considered to be more powerful than most other wizards, if members of their families are accomplishes in magical arts and magical prowess in general.

Magical Code is a part of Family Magic, but one that is far more explored and detailed. The Code is a set of unwritten magical laws that govern the House and family, created to ensure the prosperity and power of the House. The laws are linked with the Family Magic, and are not to be broken, for the backlash would either be loss of magic entirely, sometimes life, or in most cases, an automatic disconnection of Family Magic from the lawbreaker and disownment of that member from the House. These Codes are nowadays considered to be very obsolete and unnecessary, so most of the families have done away with them through the rituals with utilization of Family Magic, but there are still some that have them. And House Potter is one of them.

"Yes, I am aware of the terms, and I know that House Potter has a Magical Code, but I am unaware of the laws and rules included in it." Henry said, with Regulus and Faye listening carefully to it all. "I have not been fully trained in my duties as the Head of Houses Potter and Peverell, thanks to my birth parents."

"I see. Then it explains why you believe William Potter to be your Heir, when in actuality, it is your younger sister, Rose Dorea Potter that is your Heiress." Ragnok informed Henry, who listened to it all very carefully. "One of the central and paramount laws of Potter's Magical Code dictates: "No Potter, blood, adopted or married into House, must betray its child, parent, or relative in any form or manner. Must he do harm in direct or indirect way to them, with clear malice and evil intent, they shall prove themselves to be no Potters at heart, and in blood." Ragnok explained to them all one of the Magical Laws of Potters' Code.

"When James, Lily and William had sent you to Azkaban, unjustly, they had betrayed their son and brother respectably, with James and Lily accusing you of your wrongdoings, while William claimed your deed of defeating Riddle as his own." Regulus summarized, with Faye agreeing with him. "That must've been when Family Magic had excluded them as Potters, as well as from the line of inheritance."

"Correct, Mr. Black." Ragnok agreed, with Henry giving away a small smile. "As you can see, they have now no business or right to your rightful assets."

"Just out of curiosity, in case of my and Rose's death, who would inherit all that I own right now, including the titles?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who looked at the book one more time, before speaking up.

"In case of your sister's death, the next in line of inheritance is Mr. Edward Robert Tonks, with his daughter Nymphadora Druella Tonks, following after him." All three widened their eyes after hearing of this, being shocked to find out that Ted Tonks is actually somehow connected to House Potter. "Seeing your surprise and shock, I will take it that you were unaware of your distant relation with him and his daughter?"

"I thought that I was connected to Nymphadora, but through her mother, as she was a Black family's member, as was my grandmother." Henry said to Ragnok.

"How in the blazes is Ted 'Robin' Tonks connected with Potters? He is a muggleborn Wizard, though a powerful one at that." Regulus asked still in shock, with Ragnok speaking up again.

"Mr. Tonks is not a muggleborn Wizard, but a Half-Blooded Wizard." Ragnok corrected Regulus. "Mr. Tonks' grandmother, Margaret Julia Tonks, was born Potter, to Morgan and Felicia Potter, your great-great grandparents. However, unlike her siblings, she was born as a Squib and left the Magical World, where she married a man named Robert John Tonks, with whom she had one son, Jonathan Henry Tonks, a non-magical. He, however, married an exiled Pureblooded Witch of Malfoy family, Juno Clementine Malfoy, sister to Abraxas Malfoy. She gave birth to Edward Robert Tonks, but, unfortunately, died during childbirth. I can assure you, that he and his daughter are now closest, with the exception of your younger sister, relatives that you have."

Henry looked utterly shocked, as did Faye with Regulus, with whom he exchanged the looks, with Regulus suddenly losing it and beginning to laugh almost maniacally at all of this. Soon enough, Henry joined in on this one with Faye following suit, though not as loud as Regulus. To find out that a member of Malfoy family, one of the most outspoken about their blood purity Houses, has actually married a muggleborn _and _had a child with him, was something that must've been outrageous for the House Malfoy. What made it even more hilarious for them was the fact that the born child turned out to be quite an accomplished and powerful Wizard, who happened to have married a daughter of House Black. Henry, as well as Regulus, couldn't wait to tell the news to Nym, her family and Arcturus. They were sure that their reactions would be that of the shock and that look alone would've been oh so worth it.

"Oh, Merlin! That must be why he has those girty golden head! I always joked that he looked like a dirty Malfoy, but to think that he is an actual one!" Regulus nearly doubled out of laughter. "Oh man, I can already imagine his face when he hears of it! Or better yet, when _Lucius Malfoy_ hears of it!"

After having had his share of laugh and calming down, Henry spoke up, clearing up his throat.

"Oh Merlin, I needed that one…" He took a few deep breaths, finally calming down. "Well, back to the matter at hand, Mr. Ragnok. As you may've guessed, my current official status requires of me to remain hidden, or I would be found out and sent back to Azkaban. For this reason, I have to request that you do not freeze House Fleamont's accounts, but also grant a full access to Houses Potter and Peverell's vaults to my birth parents, James and Lily Potter, or Fleamont, as well as their son. Along with that, they are to be treated in a way, as if I was truly dead and they were Potters, with William as Lord and his parents as Regents." Ragnok looked mildly surprised at the request of his new client, with Regulus and Faye too looking surprised at this one.

"Lord Potter-Peverell, I hope you realized just what you are asking of me?" Ragnok asked of him. "You are essentially granting a full access to your rightful fortunes and treasures to the people that have denied you all of it. Our bank has provided many odd and unusual services, but this is something has never been asked or even thought of to be done before. I must state, that as your accountant and Head of Gringotts Bank, I can't grant this request of yours without very valid reasoning, as you have to understand that people you wish to grant your fortunes are essentially wanted criminals to us."

"Very well, Ragnok. I was planning on sharing my full plans with you anyway." Henry spoke up to him. "I am sure you are well aware of the fact that my birth parents are part of the Order of Phoenix, led by one Albus Dumbledore, dedicated to fighting against the Death Eaters and their leader, Voldemort."

"I am aware of that fact, yes." Ragnok acknowledged it.

"The reason as to why I've managed to get out of Azkaban is because I've made a deal with someone who has a bone to pick with both Voldemort and Dumbledore." Henry continued. "The condition of that deal is that I am to help bring an end to both of them and their supporters. And I intend to do so, as I hate both Voldemort, for killing my _real_ parents, and Dumbledore, for sending me to Azkaban to rot and die for doing _his _job for him. As of this moment, I am effectively dead for both of them and that is the way I would like it to remain. However, should either of them, personally, or through their minions, like the Potters, catch a wind of me being alive, for an example, through my status and access in Gringotts Bank, then my work would be made impossibly difficult, as I would become their prime target to take out. I know that the Wizarding community believes one to be a saint, while the other is dead to them, but we both know that is not the case with either of them."

"Hm… Yes, that is something we can agree upon." Ragnok nodded to him. "We have always remained aware of the fact that Tom Marvolo Riddle, also known as Voldemort, hadn't perished away, and he has caused us Goblins a great deal of trouble, both directly, and indirectly, by killing hundreds of our clients and using them to steel our gold and artifacts. As for Dumbledore, the Goblin Nation is very well aware of who to blame for many restrictions and anti-goblin reforms passed through Wizengamot, which have severely hampered our influence and affected our community in Britain. Add to that the fact of him stealing from us through the Wizengamot many of Goblin artifacts and being a part of the scheme that withheld from you information about your status, we consider him to be a persona non grata."

"Then I can assume that if both were to be dealt with, permanently and without any way to return back, it would only serve for the betterment of Goblin Nation and Gringotts Bank?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who nodded to him. "Now, I understand that my request is, to put it simply, outrageous and goes agaisnt the principals of Gringotts Bank. However, I am sure you can see the necessity of me remaining officially dead, as well as for my sister to be considered dead as well, if I is to succeed in my job. Now, as I recall, I have promised earlier monetary compensation for your services. Would all contents of Griphook family's vault, as well as 5% of all monetary assets from _all_ Potters and Peverells vaults be considered enough to see my request done? I may not have been informed of my fortunes, but I do know that my grandfather has left my coffers and vaults overflowing with Galleons."

"Indeed he has, Lord Potter-Peverell…" Ragnok knew exactly, _how _much his bank would benefit from just those 5%, but he still wished to see how much he could gain from it all. "But, even with this great amount of gold, you'd have to understand that we are _still _going agaisnt some of our primary principals. Such transactions on our part require certain… assurances that our client will honor our traditions, agreements, but also gain profit for us and him as well."

"That is understandable, Mr. Ragnok." Henry nodded to him. "5% of all monetary assets, and transfer of all Goblin-made artifacts and objects stored in vaults of House Potter. I've read in House's archives, that during the unfortunate events of the past, House Potter has acquired a number of your objects, many of which are considered to be highest forms of art and craftsmanship. I understand that the trust between my kind and Goblin Nation has been severely damaged because of what had transpired, and I would prefer to have that trust of Goblin Nation restored, at least towards me and my closest. And as for acquiring profit on my part, I do not intend to give my full access to my coffers, _without _first making sure that I gain something from it all." Henry gave a near feral smile to Ragnok, who understood it and gave him his own smile at that one.

"Yes, that would be very unwise, Lord Potter-Peverell. Granting access without contributions is a fool's act, true." Ragnok agreed with him. "But, as your personal accountant, I can recommend you an alternative to your proposal. As the holder of the vaults and their contents, you are in full right to loan the money from them to others, with 10% interests to be retrieved, along with the loaned money. With your former parents and sibling's spending habits, you will be able to amass quite a fortune from it. And if they are unable to pay, then Gringotts Bank will start to extract payments from the assets owned by them: property, artifacts, possessions and so on. Should the debt exceed that, and then we will start to extract money from their closest associated persons, like Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore and so forth. You, of course can set up the list of people that are in close proximity to Potters, but which you wish to exempt from payments. That way, we can be certain that the ones that have wronged us and our client are punished. It would also see you suffer no significant monetary loss. And that way you may remain out of vicinity of your enemies, free to act in your desired ways. Does that sound acceptable, Lord Potter-Peverell?"

"If this was the option all along, they can you tell me, why were you making such a scene out of it all?" Faye asked of Ragnok, but it was Henry who answered.

"You were testing me if I were ready to go far enough with my plans and if I was capable of making great investments to gain results." Henry saw that Ragnok approvingly smiled at him in a feral way. "No sane Goblin would do business with someone who wouldn't make good investments to gain his profit, but they also respect determination and ambition, capacity for calculated risk and achieving success, am I correct?"

"Indeed you are, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok spoke to him.

"Very well, then we shall do as you recommend, without their knowledge, of course." Ragnok nodded to Henry.

"The Gringotts Bank looks out for their clients' interests and wishes. We shall make sure that your enemies believe you to have perished and give away no indication that their withdrawals are in fact loans, until it is time to pay the price. You and your sister will remain unknown to them, as will their real status." Ragnok informed him. "However, you do realize that _some _compensation will have to be made, as there might be those that might not see this as a profitable endeavor, don't you?"

"Absolutely." Henry agreed with Ragnok. "Griphook family's vault is all yours, as are Goblin-made artifacts and objects from House Potter's vaults. Along with that, you can claim 2/3rds of all the interests from loans to Potters when it is time to pay up, and a magical oath from me and my companions that the information about the scandalous corruption in Gringotts Bank never leaves this room." Ragnok recognized what his client implied, and gave him a feral approving smile.

"You truly have a mind for business, Lord Potter-Peverell. It is a pleasure to be your personal accountant, sir." Ragnok gave him a bow. "I shall have all the papers ready within 20 minutes. In the meantime, is there anything else that Gringotts Bank may help you with?"

"Actually, there is something." Henry nodded to him. "I would like to take a full inheritance test and determine to which magical lines I belong to."

"Well, that is a very simple and common request." Ragnok commented, getting on his legs with the books, with the trio standing up as well. "As a sign of our good will and trust in you, this test is for free. If you please follow me, Lord Potter-Peverell, but I'll have ask your companions to remain here. It is one matter in which we prefer to exercise complete secrecy and security, for our clients' interests. I shall arrange for refreshments to be brought here for you, if you wish."

"That would be lovely, thank you." Faye said, with Regulus nodding to Ragnok, while Henry put back his ring and walked out of the room with his accountant.

"Lord Potter-Peverell, you may drop the glamour charm, as I can assure you that within these walls none will permit themselves to harm you in any way." Ragnok informed him.

"One can never be too careful, especially with what is at stake for me." Henry stated to him, with Ragnok nodded to him, as the goblin opened up the door into the room, with a table, several seats near it, a small dagger and a parchment placed on the table.

"The inheritance test is fairly simply and uncomplicated, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok spoke up, stepping closer to the table with his client. "You must take up the dagger and draw blood with it from your finger. Place seven drops of your blood upon the parchment, and it will provide you with all available information concerning your lineage, blood or magical. It will reveal all of your names, information about your birth, titles, claimed or not, statuses as Heirs, members or Heads, along with reasons of your relations to Houses and Families. Along with that, it will also provide information if you have some form of anomalies in your body."

"What sort of anomalies do you mean, Mr. Ragnok?" Henry turned to him, with Ragnok simply shrugging his shoulders at that one.

"Whatever kind that might reside in you, Lord Potter-Peverell. The parchment will read not only your blood, but also your magic in it, and magic _always _has traces of something unusual in it." Ragnok cryptically said to Henry.

Deciding not to waste any more time with it, he stepped closer to the parchment and picked up the dagger. Carefully, he drew the sharp blade closer to his ring finger, and then pricked it, drawing blood and a momentary pain, causing Henry to wince a little bit. Placing the dagger on the table, he watched as the drops of blood fell upon the parchment, with each of them being absorbed into the material. Soon enough, the needed seven drops had fallen, and with quick spell, Henry healed his finger, while the parchment began to form words. In a minute, the process was complete and with blood red letters there was written his results. Henry took up the parchment carefully and read it to himself.

_**Name: Henry James Potter**_

_**Date of Birth: July 31**__**st**__**, 1975, 11.59 P.M.**_

_**Parents: James Charlus Potter, Father (disowned via breaking The Code); Freya Lillian Potter (disowned via breaking The Code)**_

_**Siblings: William James Potter (disowned via breaking the Code); Rose Dorea Potter**_

_**Titles and claims:**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Potter (inherited from Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Peverell (inherited from Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Gaunt (inherited through the magical adoption by Tom Marvolo Riddle)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Exalted and Most Noble House Slytherin (inherited through the unification of lines of Stewart and Gaunt)**_

_**Prince Claimant of the Exalted and Royal House Le Fay (inherited through unification of lines Peverell and Slytherin)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Ancient and Noble House Prewett (inherited from Freya Lillian Potter)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Exalted and Most Noble House Gryffindor (inherited from Freya Lillian Potter and Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Most Ancient and Noble House Black (inherited from Dorea Persephone Potter)**_

_**Magical anomalies present in the body:**_

_**Absorbed fragment of soul, belonging Tom Marvollo Riddle.**_

_**Absorbed magical power, belonging to Tom Marvollo Riddle and Dorea Persephone Potter.**_

_**Soul of Dorea Persephone Potter, sealed in the forehead.**_

Henry dropped the parchment on to the table, having paled at what he had just read and unable not just comprehend, but to just believe what he had just read. Forget him being an Heir Claimant to so many House, one of which was the bloody House Le Fay, House of Morgana and Mordred. Forget the fact of him even being an Heir Claimant of Slytherin and Gryffindor…

No, what truly had left him the shock and made him stumble back were the last three things written there.

He was one of Voldemort's bloody Horcruxes himself, somehow created by that man in that damn night.

But even that wasn't all, no.

He was the possessor of his own grandmother's soul… The woman that had raised and loved him as his own son… Was now inside of his forehead.

* * *

**Oh, boy, some serious shit is going down here. Many of you may have many questions for this chapter, but for the sake of suspense and tension, I think I'll only tell you of three things today: Regulus' wand, Magical Code, and Heir Claimant thing.  
**

**Now, Hawthorn, according to Pottermore, is the Wand wood that is compatible with the conflicted and multi layered persons, one like Regulus. It can be good for both healing, and killing magic, and is considered really strong in either area, but also dangerous in unsure hands. If memory serves me right, Draco's has the wand made of the same wood, but I might be mistaken, so do correct me if I am wrong. In other words, this wood is very good for complex people, those that have to struggle with their chosen life path.**

**The Sphinx's feather is of my own thought, being one of the rarer kinds of wand cores. Much like the beast it was taken from, this core is considered to be good and compatible for every type of magic: Charms, Transfigurations, Dark Arts, Light Magic and so forth. You can expect good and stable magic from that core, but not one that will be overly powerful in one area, like with Dragon heartstring in Dark Arts. This core's another good quality about it is that it responds very well with people that have several different personal qualities in them, like cunning and bravery at the same time.**

**In short, Regulus' wand is jack of all traits, and powerful one at that, responding well to any type of his magic. He may not be able to overpower his opponents in sheer brute might, but he can dish out quite a lot and be certain that his wand will deliver a powerful spell.**

**Magical Code is essentially a law made in the family, used to control the members of it's family and ensure that it prospers. It is a really old concept, one that has been abandoned by most of the families before the beginning of 20th century. Only very few houses have them to this time, one like Potters.**

**Heir Claimant is a title, referring to someone who has the blood and magical claim to a certain magical family and House, but isn't a recognized Heir Primus, or first Heir. Heir Claimant can become the Heir Primus or Head of the House through several ways, most which involve deposing the current Heir and Head, or he can revive the House, if there are no other living members of that family and House, or there aren't anyone who wishes to claim the Lordship or Royalty, like with Le Fay.**

**Review, suggest, ask questions, and make theories on what you just read. I'll answer all I can and read it, the full in-story explanation will come out soon enough.**

**See ya soon!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Gringotts Bank.**

Henry stumbled back, his face paler than before, gaze unfocused and mouth agape. A million different thoughts raced through his mind in a single second, trying to comprehend and make sense of what he had just learned. His grandmother's soul, _actual _soul, not a part, or a fragment, but her _entire _soul… was inside of him, sealed in his forehead. He was her holder, having even her own magical power within him as well, along with that of Voldemort, and a _fragment of his bloody soul _as well.

Was he a Horcrux himself? Was he just another manifestation of Riddle's soul, doing its bidding? Or was he still within his cell in Azkaban, having another nightmare or hallucinating? At this point and moment, Henry wasn't able to tell for himself, if he was even sane or not.

Seeing his client's state and how he was stumbling back, Ragnok summoned a chair for Henry, letting him fall into it and sit. Without wasting a breath, he summoned a goblet with water and a large cup, pouring water in it, before adding a calming draught into it. Once done, he offered it to his dazed client.

"Lord Potter-Peverell, please drink this, now." Ragnok's voice didn't leave any room for argument.

With a shaking hand, Henry took the cup and poured its content right down his throat. Within the next couple of moments, the fog of confusion and panic had lifted off his mind, leaving his calculating, pragmatic and analytical side fully in control. Taking a deep breath and shaking off the last remnants of his panic, Henry focused up his sight again, before turning to Ragnok and nodding to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Ragnok." His accountant nodded to him, while Henry stood up and took up the parchment again, reading it again, analyzing what was written on it. "This doesn't make sense… What is the probability of a failure, or a mistake being made by this parchment?"

"Such possibility is completely removed from this instrument. It is a hundred percent precise and accurate, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok informed him, stepping closer to him and grabbing the parchment and reading for himself, without even batting an eye at this one. "Hm, I see what seems to have caused this question and that state of yours, Lord Potter-Peverell. I must admit personally, that this is the first time our establishment happens to have received such results. If it is any consolation to you, if you were possessed by either of the persons listed here, it would've been shown immediately upon this parchment. As far as I can tell, you are a master of your own mind and body."

"That does little to ease my mind, but thank you anyway." Henry let out a sigh, thinking this entire thing over again. "It just… It just doesn't make any sense at all to me. Soul of my grandmother, absorbed power and fragment of Voldemort, me being a Horcrux apparently…"

"Lord Potter-Peverell, in cases when we have to deal with cursed objects; we have a special division of workers dedicated to this task. Perhaps, if our Chief of Curse Breaker Department had paid a visit to you right now, we would get immediate and determined results of your condition." Ragnok informed him, with Henry turning to him with a serious look. "It will talk only a few minutes for me to fetch him and a couple more for him to analyze and determine what exactly your condition is. In light of the most recent findings and what is written upon this parchment, this service will be for free, sir." Henry nodded to Ragnok, who took it as a sign of acceptance, and practically darted out of the room.

Just as Ragnok had promised, it took him less than two minutes to return with a second goblin, dressed in an official suit and with a wand in his hand. Communicating in what Henry assumed was Goblegoke, the native language of Goblins, Ragnok ordered the Curse Breaker to perform his duty. Without saying another word, the goblin went to work with his wand, slowly moving it around his head, concentrating his power near the forehead. For a second, Henry sensed a warm feeling coming out of his right side forehead, when the Goblin's wand was near it. If the Curse Breaker was surprised or shocked, he didn't show it in the slightest, since Goblins were masters in concealing their emotions, when they wanted it.

In the next minute, the Curse Breaker had ended his analysis and spoke to Ragnok at length in their tongue. Henry didn't make any attempt at understanding it, but he did try to see if the expressions on Goblins' faces would change. He was surprised to have noticed that nothing changed in their expressions in 10 minutes that they communicated. Once the Curse Breaker was done talking, he turned to Lord Potter-Peverell and bowed to him in respect, before leaving them alone. Once the door closed, Ragnok spoke up.

"Lord Potter-Peverell, it would seem that your condition is truly one of a kind, sir." Ragnok sounded a tiny little bit amazed. "First of all, I would like to inform you, that you are positively _not _a Horcrux. At least, not anymore, and you haven't been one for a very long time."

"What does that even mean?" Henry asked of his accountant, with Ragnok not wasting time with the explanation.

"According to our Chief Curse Breaker Kneecraker, you were made into a Horcrux by Tom Marvollo Riddle, on the night of 31st of October 1981. He wasn't able to determine precise details, but according to his theory, on the night of his death, the soul of Riddle, had fragmented itself into two parts upon the destruction of his physical form. One of the two fragments of his soul had tried to survive by possessing the nearest source of powerful magic, and that source were you, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok explained to his client, what he meant, with Henry listening to it. "Under normal circumstances, a possession, even by a small fragment, like one of Riddle's, would've destroyed, or worse, absorbed your own soul into Riddle's and gave him full control of your body. However, someone has intervened and prevented a possession from taking effect on you. I believe, that you can guess who it was." Henry's eyes widened slightly at the realization of what had transpired.

"My grandmother… S-She must've been able to destroy Voldemort's body, and then that fragment." Henry sat in shock, with Ragnok nodding to him. "Th-they always said that it was my brother that destroyed Voldemort, but on that night, I remember it well still. My grandmother had put herself between me and Voldemort and somehow managed to deflect his Killing Curse, but after that… All I remember is waking up deep in night, when Rose, my little sister cried, with my grandmother's body near mine, and her hands on my heart and head…"

"I have no idea how Lady Dorea had managed to repel the Avada Kedavra curse, but, according to what Kneecraker said, she had performed an extremely powerful form of sacrificial magic." Ragnok spoke up to Henry, getting his full attention. "Your grandmother must have offered up her life and soul to magic itself, in order to save your life. I don't know the full details, but she, obviously, has managed to succeed in that task, with Riddle's soul and part of his magical power being absorbed without any harm into your being, while her life was given as a payment for this act. But as for her soul and magical power… In both my and Curse Breaker's opinions, it is a part of her protection of you, Lord Potter-Peverell. A protection, which in my mind has saved your life in the bowels of Azkaban."

"Pardon?" Henry didn't understand him.

"Her Soul and magical power were transferred into you in the fullest, and while Riddle's soul and magical power show themselves in your talents and raw might in magic, her gift to you shows itself in a special powerful aura that you must've felt when Curse Breaker scanned you." Ragnok stated to him, with Henry nodding, remembering the feeling and recalling, that similar one he had sensed in Azkaban often times, yet forgetting it as soon as sleep came. "This protection had lowered the effect dementors had on you, greatly so at that, but the sheer amount of them and their influence in their bowels still had an effect on your body. You may consider yourself very fortunate, Lord Potter-Peverell, for if this protection was not with you, your time in Azkaban would've been cut very short."

"So, even in death, she keeps protecting me, and her love keeps me warm…" Henry said in half whisper, more to himself than Ragnok. "Is there any way to… communicate with her? To speak to her, or to, I don't know, even let her _out _of me?"

"I am sorry, Lord Potter-Peverell, but such powerful and ancient magic is something even my people are unfamiliar with, or tempt ourselves with studying it at any form or length." Ragnok said to him. "I imagine that your kind has done some research and progress on this subject, however. You may best try your luck with them. But, the conclusion is, that you are neither possessed, nor a Horcrux, and that you have a very powerful and special protection cast upon you. In other words, you are perfectly sane, lucid and in control of yourself."

"I think I will, and thank you for explaining this to me, Ragnok." Henry said in a more determined voice, already standing up. "Now, if that is all…"

"No, it isn't, sir." Ragnok said in a forceful manner, forcing Henry to look at him with a perplexed manner. "Ah, apologies. I sometimes forget how being in emotional turmoil, humans tend to overlook and forget very important business and details. However, while the matter of your mental and spiritual health is settled, there is a matter of a far greater importance and urgency that needs to be settled at once. So, if you may, please sit down, and let me explain what your lineage has shown to you." Henry settled down and sat down in the chair again, while Ragnok summoned the table and chair to them and sat in front of his client.

"Alright, from what I saw, I happen to be a Lord of also House Gaunt, which is the same one from where Voldemort comes from, though I fail to see how that works." Henry began to talk, with Ragnok nodding to him. "The fact that I am Heir Claimant to Gryffindor, Slytherin, Prewett and Blacks, doesn't exactly surprise me all that much, when I think about it. My grandmothers are Prewett and Black, respectively, with Gryffindor line rumored to be traced in many families of England, with Potters being among them. Slytherin can come from Gaunt and Stewart… But House Le Fay? Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't that _the _House of…"

"The very same Exalted and Royal House Le Fay, from which came Her Majesty, Queen Morgana Le Fay-Pendragon, her son and rightful heir of Camelot, Prince Morgraine Uther Pendragon-Le Fay, and the very line, from which Most Ancient and Noble House Peverell originated from." Ragnok informed Henry, who looked at him with a mildly shocked expression. "Your human stories tell you that Morgana Le Fay was an enemy of King Arthur Pendragon, and through their incestuous relations she had a son with him, who had destroyed Camelot. The truth of the matter is far more complicated than that, and it is not my place to give you a full history lesson, Lord Potter-Peverell, but what I can tell you, is that House Le Fay and its descendants are rightful heirs of House Pendragon and Camelot. Along with that, the Goblin Nation also owes an oath of eternal friendship and alliance to Queen Morgana and all her rightful descendants, for her part in establishing peace between Goblins and Humans. If you are proven to be worthy as her successor, you may find us to be your most trustful allies, Lord Potter-Peverell."

"That's all well and good, but can you explain to me, just _how _in the blazes did I come to be an Heir Claimant of it?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who examined the parchment one more time, before speaking up.

"That is easy to explain, Lord Potter-Peverell." Ragnok spoke up. "Houses Le Fay and Slytherin were united in a marriage between Prince Morgraine and Lady Lamia Slytherin, daughter of Salazar Slytherin. Through that marriage came four children, three boys and one girl, with the eldest boy continuing line of House Le Fay, while the middle of the three ended up continuing the line of Slytherin, as its closest blood relative after the male line of Slytherin had been killed during a feud with House Gryffindor. The youngest of three was the founder of House Peverell, and the grandfather of the infamous Three Brothers, who received the Deathly Hollows. As for their sister, she had died from human pox very young, a common and ravenous disease back in the day. The line of House Le Fay, unfortunately, was destroyed by its enemies less than a century after the separation, while House Slytherin had splintered into several descendant Houses after its primary line was destroyed, leaving only descendant lines of females, such as Gaunts, and was gone too. As for Peverells, you are probably aware of their fate yourself."

"Now, as for how you have ended up with these claims, it all comes down to your two least favored people: your former mother and Tom Marvollo Riddle. Freya Lillian Potter comes from House Stewart, descendants of both Morrigan and Salazar Slytherin, with latter through House Gaunt, which has managed to maintain both powerful blood of Slytherin and their inherit magic through updating it with new powerful members, via marriages and adoptions. They are also the most numerous House with Claimants on name Slytherin, and have a very large number of Parselmouths, like you." Ragnok continued. "Because of that, you have managed to receive both blood and magic of Slytherin, even though Lady Fleamont was disowned from her House. As for House Gaunt and Riddle, it all comes down to Lady Dorea's sacrifice and your absorption of Riddle's soul and magic. Through that, you automatically became not only his de-facto Heir, but upon death of his physical body, Lord of House Gaunt. Combining both Stewart and Gaunt blood and magic, and you have obtained the strongest claim to House Slytherin, and since Potters are last descendants of House Peverell, and House Peverell originated from House Le Fay and House Slytherin…"

"In me, the two lines had united ones again, and I have become an Heir Claimant, or Prince Claimant, to House Le Fay." Henry finished for Ragnok, who nodded to him. "Okay, I think I now understand how it came to pass. Now, Mr. Ragnok, if I were to ask you, what you would say are the strengths of my claims and what would you advice, as my personal accountant."

"Your weakest claims would have to Houses Prewett and Gryffindor, as the two Houses have a very great number of possible Heir Claimants that can put in front their rights for the Lordships before you and have stronger claims. House Weasley currently has the greatest number of most favorable Heir Claimants to House Prewett, with Charles Weasley being an immediate Heir Primus of House Prewett. As for House Gryffindor, there isn't a definitive Heir Primus, so it is complicated at that. With House Black, I would say that your rights as Heir Claimant are stronger, but not by much." Ragnok informed him. "Your strongest claims are on Houses Slytherin and Le Fay, due to reasons I have stated earlier. You can be recognized and take up the position of Lord Slytherin immediately, or at any time of your choosing, and gain access to all their assets and properties. And as for House Le Fay, you are the first Prince Claimant to it in more than 800 years, but to be recognized not only as Heir, but Prince Le Fay, as it is the official title of Head of House Le Fay now, you would have to prove you're worth…"

"In what manner would I need to prove it?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who suddenly stood up and walked to the door, opening it and whispering something to a nearby goblin, which had darted off his place afterwards.

After that Ragnok returned to his place and sat in silence, with Henry deciding not to speak either, instead thinking about this entire situation. The revelation of his grandmother making such a sacrifice for him was nothing short of shocking, being far more profound than the fact of her _actually _defeating Voldemort. To go so far and grant him such protection… Henry had never thought about which kind of magic was the strongest, though he has heard Dumbledore and some others spew what he had at the moment believed to be utter nonsense about the power of Love. Earlier, he dismissed it as rubbish, but now…

An act of ultimate love and devotion, a mother's love, was what had saved him from Voldemort and dementors of Azkaban. It would seem that there was more to what Dumbledore and even his parents spoke off, though he doubted his former parents were even capable of thinking of such sacrifice and feeling such love. James and Lily's love to William was not the same one as Charlus and Dorea's to him and Rose, as his grandparents gave their attention to them, loved and cared for them, guided and taught them, laughed with them and wiped their tears.

Theirs was the love of true parents, whilst James and Lily's love to William is one of indulging him of everything, enflaming his ego and desires, greed and arrogance, without true guidance or even pure affection and love. No, if this was also a form of love, than Henry would much rather have hatred that he has already. He was practically certain that the Potters weren't capable of _real_ love, nor understanding what it meant. Granted, Henry could honestly say that he himself didn't fully understand it or at times comprehend, but… If he was in his grandmother's place that night, and it was Rose that Voldemort had tried to possess, there wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he would do the same thing for her as their grandmother did for him.

He would kill, maim, torture, kidnap, and die, just to see her alive and well. Perhaps this was the same way for his grandmother, to be ready to do anything for the safety of her family and loved ones. Henry honestly hopped that his willingness to go dark was a sign of him being able to love, because the thought of him being unable to feel this emotion, or at least to the same extent as his grandmother, actually frightened him to a certain degree.

Henry shook his head slightly, deciding to focus up on more practical matters over the spiritual and sentimental ones. There wasn't really any question to it, but he wasn't going to press on his claim for Houses Prewett, Gryffindor and Black, as there were not only other Heir Claimants with a far better claim than his, but it would also create a great deal trouble in the long run. Prewett and Gryffindor are the Light Houses, and he wasn't going to be going Light and giving hope to people, and making himself a target, by declaring himself next Godrik Gryffindor. No, he wasn't a Gryffindor, not by a bloody long shot, nor would he wish to have any association with House Weasley and their broodmare of a Matriarch, Molly Weasley. The woman was unbearable in her desires to control, gain greater standing and to get rich, along with being so damn profoundly devoted to Dumbledore. Needless to say, Henry didn't want _any_ connection with her and her brood.

As for the Blacks, while he already considered himself a Black, he wouldn't dare to lay a claim on the title of Heir. He respected Arcturus and Regulus, and knew that even though Regulus was now Head of the Black's branch family in America, it would either be him, or one of his sons to inherit the House Black and its title of Lord. And Henry was completely fine with that, as he wouldn't dare to instigate strife in the House by foolishly pressing on his claims to Lordship. In his mind, as long as House Black was in good hands and led by his and Rose's ally, along with one who cared for Andromeda and Nymphadora, he was fine and dandy, as Americans like to say it.

No, if he was going to press on any claims, it would have to be his claims to Houses Slytherin and Le Fay, the two of the most powerful, exalted and revered Dark Families of all times in Great Britain. For as much as Voldemort may parade himself as the Heir of Slytherin, if he were to suddenly find himself at odds with the _True _Heir and Head of House Slytherin, he wouldn't only take a great deal of damage to his reputation, but he would also lose a good deal of credibility. Not only that, but if the same Lord Slytherin also turned out to be Prince Le Fay… The notion that descendant of Salazar Slytherin and Morgana Le Fay stands against Voldemort, the Dark Lord of this age, would send a powerful message to all Wizards and Witches. He would be painting a target upon himself, but Henry would also be able to do something that Dumbledore and his cronies have failed to do.

He would openly take a stand against Voldemort, demonstrate to everyone his defiance of Dark Lord, and send an open message: he and his name are not as fearful as you may see them. Henry also understood that while it was perceived that Voldemort had enjoyed a complete obedience and support of the Dark families, there is a great deal of those in the dark spectrum of magic that would rather see the bastard gone. After all, any sane and competent Slytherin graduate would understand one simple thing about Voldemort: he doesn't tolerate anything and anyone that could oppose him, and Pureblooded families were among them. While many would seek to prostrate themselves in front of him in hopes of being spared, there were many of those that would much rather destroy him before he destroyed them. And if Prince Le Fay were to unite them into one force… Even Voldemort and Ministry would have to take him seriously. If he was to add up to that those of Neutral, or Grey, Houses, then he would effectively be in the position of taking over the Great Britain, in the best case scenarios.

Henry also understood that as soon as it was known that there was a new Prince Le Fay around, with him also being Lord Slytherin, he would find himself as the prime target of the Leader of Light and his Order of Phoenix. He was utterly certain that Dumbledore would stop at nothing to first try and recruit him into the Order, possibly trying to dangle in front of him a possible union through marriage with one of his supporters. And when he found his attempts to be futile, he would make it his life's work to see Houses Le Fay and Slytherin removed once again, as well as going to town with his propaganda of his Greater Good and need to sacrifice two of the darkest families alive for the benefit of all. Henry knew that all too well, and as much as it was threatening, the advantages and power of having the names Le Fay and Slytherin were too great to pass up. Henry internally smirked and laughed at himself, as he acted like the utter Slytherin and gave into their most prime sin of all: greed for power and might.

Henry's musings were cut short, when the goblin returned, carrying with him a large dark crystal ball. It reminded Henry the containers for the Prophecies somewhat, only this ball, or sphere more accurately, was much bigger in size, and, at closer look, seemed to hold shifting shadows in it, encircling a golden glowing center in it. Henry looked at the object with interest, before looking up at Ragnok, and hearing him speak.

"This is the Sphere of Morgana Le Fay, one of her most powerful artifacts, and one of our most prized and most important possessions. We have been its keepers ever since the last Prince Le Fay had granted it to us, with the orders to only show it to one, who would be able to claim the title of Prince of the Exalted and Royal House Le Fay." Ragnok explained to Henry. "If you wish to be tested and find out if you are worthy, place your hand on the sphere. I will tell you this, Lord Potter-Peverell: I do not know how you will be tested, for all that Prince Le Fay said to us was: "Their worth will be determined by the mother of our line."

With that being said to him, Henry looked at the magical artifact in front of him. Knowing that doubt wouldn't do him much good and having made up his mind on the matter, he placed his right palm on top of the sphere. The moment he done it, a powerful burst of magic was sent through his arm and locking it in place. The very next moment, when Henry sensed the great magical power coursing through him, his eyes saw black.

* * *

**Unknown place.**

Henry's eyes snapped open, as he found himself standing in the middle of what he perceived to be a very large dark hall, with fog all around him. He smelled and sensed nothing, hearing not even the slightest movement of air or anything at all. He didn't know where he was, but one thing was clear: he wasn't exactly in the physical world at the moment.

"How very perceptive." Henry heard a melodic, yet strong female voice, seemingly commenting his thoughts. "It is a rare sight, to find one who quickly understands of his surrounding and circumstances. At least you are gifted with mind in some measure, so I will grant you this."

Henry looked around himself, trying to find the source of the voice. After senselessly looking around for what seemed like eternity, he stopped in his attempts, and at that moment, the darkness in front of him lifted with the fog, revealing to him the exact replica of Hogwarts' Great Hall, in the middle of which he stood now. And in front of Henry stood a young woman of near unearthly beauty. Long and wavy blonde hair, reaching to her waist and adorned by a golden tiara, encrusted with sapphires and amethysts, emphasized her sky blue eyes adorning the face of angel. She was dressed in the royal dress of the light bright blue and golden colors, completely covering and showing her appealing figure under fabric. Behind her was the cloak, with the symbol of a great white dragon on the blue field. The woman practically oozed power, might, dignity and magic, with Henry staring at her mesmerized. It took him a few seconds before he composed himself, and in the next second, recalling what Ragnok had said to him, he spoke to her with a low bow.

"Queen Morgana." He said in a near whisper, raising his head to look upon her again. "It is a great honor…"

"For you, perhaps, but for me…" She said with a small smirk, walking around him and eyeing him up akin to a hawk. "Hm, how peculiar… I would've thought that a Prince Claimant would come sooner, not after 800 years since my line had nearly withered away from my descendants. However, you certainly don't disappoint, in complexity of your being, at least. Well, if you have something to say, other than flattery and begging, do tell. I am curious to see, what kind of possible Prince you would make, if I were to deem you worthy."

"The mother of the line would determine…" Henry said out loud, with Morgana stopping in her tracks and looking at him with a curious eye, waiting for him to speak. "The Sphere probably contains a part of your own Soul, made akin to a Horcrux, but instead of preserving life and gaining immortality, you've sealed in it a small part of your being for a different purpose."

"Not bad for the start." Morgana praised with a small amused smile. "Do go on, Henry."

"You've probably anticipated the possibility of your line ceasing to exist, as was all too possible in Early Medieval Period. So, in case there was descendant of your line who would have the potential to rebirth House Le Fay, you created this artifact." Henry continued. "Its purpose is for you personally to judge him and give your own blessing to the name Le Fay."

"And for purpose would I want to go through all this trouble, when I could've simply allowed any Claimant to walk in and allow him to claim my name?" Morgana asked of him with interest.

"Because you couldn't allow just a random someone to walk in and take the House and its name as his own." Henry continued, with Morgana listening with growing interest. "You needed to be sure, that the Claimant was not just able to recreate House Le Fay, but also see it prosper and gain power in the future. You didn't just want a Claimant, but you wanted an assured future for your House, one with which his demise would not repeat itself." Henry ended, with Morgana looking in his grey eyes, before giving him her smile.

"Well done. It is relieving, to see someone who is capable of seeing past his nose. It would seem that my visions were true when it came to you." Henry blinked when she said that to him, with Morgana simply looking at him with a semi-amused smile. "What, for all my dark and ominous infamy and glory that my enemies have made sure to create for me, the simple fact of me being a Seer surprises you? Don't talk, I already know that it does, as well as I know what exactly you believe you know of me. Mind telling though, how _do _I know?"

"If I were a Gryffindor, I would say that you already foresaw it all happening, but… My Ravenclaw and Slytherin sides tell me that the Sphere also opened you access into my mind and soul for you to study." Henry told her, with Morgana nodding him. "I don't know much about Seers, but I wouldn't devise such an intricate way for testing my potential successors, without being able to see what they truly are about. After all, there is always the possibility that you might be tricked."

"Not even Seers are all seeing, that I can tell you." Morgana said to him in a sagely fashion, answering his unasked question. "The answer to the question that seems to bother you for now. Had I been able to see all that were to happen, I would've remained at my beloved Arthur's side, while that whore Guinevere was rotting in a ditch with a slit throat. But instead of that, all our works and Camelot were destroyed by her spawn, my children hunted down like animals, while my husband was made into a puppet by a Witch of supposedly _Light_ descent. And all because it was, in her view, for the common good… Sounds quite similar to what Dumbledore says, doesn't it?"

"Common or Greater, both are just pretexts to get power and enforce the vision of prosperity." Henry commented, with Morgana looking curiously at him. "If you can see right through me, and you know what I am really about, then you must have the answer ready as well. And even if not, the fact that foresaw this happening already indicates that you have made some opinion of me, haven't you?"

"Yes, I have." Morgana confirmed to Henry his musings. "I did indeed foresee that I my line would fall, only it came to me too late, when I could not save it. And right after that, I foresaw that it would once again flourish and rise, when a son, betrayed by his blood parents and saved by his true mother, would come before me, bearing on him the mark of ultimate love and with greyness of hell upon him. And in him will shine the mind and clarity of Ravenclaw, his soul will be as true as Hufflepuff's, his heart will be strong like Gryffindor, and guided he shall be by wisdom and cunning of Slytherin… That was the first Prophecy I had of you, Henry James Potter."

"There were others?" Henry asked of her.

"One more, one that depends, on either me deeming you worthy, or casting you away from here." Morgana said to him with a serious voice. "I may've foreseen you come here, but I couldn't just give you away what is mine to give. Just knowing future doesn't determine that it would be a good choice, so I needed to know for sure."

"And hence this Sphere…" Henry nodded to her. "Well, I as much as I may enjoy this philosophical and educational discussion of ours, I would like to know the verdict." Morgana saw the determined gaze in Henry's eyes, and after a minute of thinking, she spoke.

"For the most part, I would be quite content to grant you the honor of bearing my House's name." Morgana spoke up to him. "But, while your qualities and persona are those that I would want to see in my Heir, your priorities are not the ones I desire to have in one who would rekindle my House into life."

"What is wrong with my priorities?" Henry asked of her in a low voice. "Wouldn't you, after going through what I have gone through, want justice, revenge? What is wrong with me wanting to put an end to both of those bastards and their megalomaniac plans? Isn't the same thing you'd want, if you had the chance to change what happened to you?"

"All true, I won't deny you that." Morgana admitted without any delay to him. "Your desires for revenge and justice I understand, and even support. No Le Fay must let their enemies get away with what they have done, even if they are connected by blood. However, while your desires and set tasks sit well with me, it's how you perceive my House that isn't well with me. House Le Fay must be the beacon of hope to our allies, and harbinger of death and destruction to our foes. It is an embodiment of power, might and dignity, not just a banner under which to gather allies, nor just an instrument of achieving one's goals. I would not have my House made into a means of achieving your immediate desires."

"Then what would you have me do then, Your Majesty?" Henry asked of her in an irritated voice. "Would you have me act like all those so called pureblood Lords that serve Voldemort? Who always prance about their traditions, legacy, history, and shove them to everyone who wants it and not?

"I would want you to _be _a true Lord, not just _act _like one." Morgana stated to him with power, with Henry blinking at what she said. "Being a Lord is not about appearing like one, but doing the duty towards its House, preserving and safeguarding its traditions and past, not flaunting it around. House Le Fay's legacy and history are a power of their own, and they deserve to be preserved, but only by one who would know his duty. You already know what a true Lord of the House is, as you have always tried to live up to your grandfather's expectations. I would have you live the life of Prince Le Fay, not Lord Potter." Then it came to Henry, what exactly she wanted of him.

"You… You want me to denounce my past, the past of a Potter and take up the Le Fay instead?" Henry asked of her, with Morgana looking at him with a calculating gaze, before he continued to speak with passion. "You speak of preserving the honor and glory of your House, but it would seem that you've missed a small detail with me: I am the last true Potter, the last true Peverell, and now the last true Slytherin. You want me to the Prince Le Fay and take it as my own name, and I would, but if you order me to forsake those names, then you clearly don't understand me. You think I don't care about the traditions and legacy of the Houses? Quite the opposite, because I know what it means to be the Lord, as I've seen my grandfather be one when his sons died and the last one betrayed him, yet he didn't let go of the names of Potter and Peverell. No, instead of that, he made his damn bloody best that I understood that after he was gone, it would fall to me to lead it, to preserve and expand upon his foundations and successes. As much as I may want to be Prince Le Fay, I wouldn't dare to spew in his face by letting go of what I already have…" Morgana listened to what Henry had to say to her, before blinking a couple of times, and letting out a small chuckle.

"Well, you certainly have the will and nerve to be Lord, which I will grant you." Morgana said to him, before continuing. "And I wouldn't ever dare to make you my Heir, if in your readiness to gain power you would sacrifice what you had already so easily."

"Wait… Were you…"

"Of course I was testing you, silly." Morgana chuckled at that one. "Now, I don't need you to forsake your bloodlines, quite the opposite actually. I would have them preserved and rebuild, but only under the wing and blood of Prince Le Fay. In name, magic _and _blood." Now Henry understood completely what Morgana wanted of him.

"You'd not have me renounce my past Lordships, but would have me made Prince Le Fay as my prime title and House Le Fay as my main House." Morgana nodded to him. "Even though my birth parents have been disowned due to Code, I still carry their blood, as much as I may loath it. Name and magic is one thing, but blood… That is not easily discarded, especially if it means losing the blood of those that have cared and loved me."

"I would not have you discard Charlus and Dorea, nor blood and magic of all Houses that connected in you, only have your blood purified of those that have betrayed you. Their love has saved your life, and I would not dare to destroy their legacy in you. Their blood, their love and their legacy I would only wish of you to honor, and I would preserve it" Morgana extended her hand to him. "But if I am to have you as Prince Le Fay, you would have to discard the blood of traitors, and accept the blood of one who founded the line. My blood and my name, as my son, though not birthed by me, but made in one with adoption."

Henry looked at her for a second, thinking over all that she had said to him. As much as his skeptical side was telling him to not go along with her, his instinct and gut was telling him that she was truthful. And while losing the names Potters and Peverells as his major ones was somewhat stinging, he wouldn't be discarding them, and would ensure their preservation. And as for blood of James and Lily… He wasn't losing anything of value. Without hesitation, he took her hand into his, and felt a surge of magic go right through his entire body, burning his blood and skin, yet giving him no pain. In a few minutes of the sensation, it was over, and Morgana let go of him.

"It is done." She simply said to him, with Henry looking at her with a perplexed look. "My blood is now yours, as is my magic and legacy. Now, you have earned my blessing and permission, my son and Prince. You may leave now, but before that know this." And with that, Morgana's eyes closed for a second, before opening up again, letting Henry see that she was in a state of trance.

"**In the last years of millennia, Light Lord and Dark Lord will clash. Neither serving the good or evil, but to their own ambitions, their war will leave the magical realm bloodied. Lines shall be drawn, sides shall be taken, and hundreds will die for nothing, if left unstopped. But in the middle of that chaos, The Dark Prince shall rise, brought in by blood of serpent and dragon, betrayed by those that gave him life, and hated for his mere existence by them. Feared by both the Light and the Dark, in his hands is their demise and the future of Albion." **Morgana ended her prophecy to Henry, before smiling to him. "Use it well, my son. Now go." And with that, Henry's eyes saw dark again.

* * *

**Gringotts Bank.**

Henry's eyes snapped open again, and he took his hand off the sphere, which now looked like a simple black spherical stone. He glanced at it for a second, sensing that the magic in it was gone, and along with that, Henry felt himself better, like he had been fully healed from his stay in Azkaban. Taking off his glamour ring, he saw that his hands and body were fully filled out by the mass of muscles and meat, returning his near athletic physique back to him.

"It would seem Her Majesty has declared you her Heir and Prince." Ragnok snapped Henry from his observations of himself, drawing the attention of wizard back to goblin, who held a mirror in his hand now. "You'd best take a look at your new self, Your Highness." Ragnok gave Henry the mirror.

When he looked into it, he was nearly shocked to see the face of the man that looked back at him. If before he had a more round and pronounced face, like one of James Potter and, especially, Charlus Potter, then now his face was more akin to that of a Black, with high cheekbones, a narrowed chin and cheeks. His skin was no longer as pale as dead man's, returning to his original tone, while his eyes were once again of a warm green color that he once had, with a slightly brighter color than before. His hair too had changed slightly, with his grey mane of hair now becoming one in line of clear white and silvery color.

"Incredible." Henry noticed that his voice, which had changed in Azkaban, due to the effect of dementors, was the same as before. "I look so different…"

"Yes, though the similarities from your past appearance remain, but not the once that connect you to Lord and Lady Fleamont." Ragnok noted to his client, with Henry putting away the mirror, and taking up the parchment. "The results of the parchment have also been modified, as it is connected to your magical energy, Your Highness. I believe it is now confirmed, that you are the new Prince Le Fay."

Henry looked at the parchment, and read it once more.

_**Name: Henry Arthur Le Fay**_

_**Date of birth: July 31**__**st**__**, 1975, 23.59 P.M.**_

_**Parents: Arthur Michael Pendragon, Father (adopted in magic and blood); Morgana Maria Le Fay, Mother (adopted in magic and blood); James Charlus Potter (birth parent; disowned via breaking The Code); Freya Lillian Potter (birth parent; disowned via breaking The Code)**_

_**Siblings: William James Potter ( birth brother; disowned via breaking the Code); Rose Dorea Potter(birth sister)**_

_**Titles and claims:**_

_**Prince of the Exalted and Royal House Le Fay (inherited through unification of lines Peverell and Slytherin; recognized by Morgana Le Fay)**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Potter (inherited from Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Peverell (inherited from Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Lord of the Most Ancient and Noble House Gaunt (inherited through the magical adoption by Tom Marvolo Riddle)**_

_**Lord of the Exalted and Most Noble House Slytherin (inherited through the unification of lines of Stewart and Gaunt)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Ancient and Noble House Prewett (inherited from Freya Lillian Potter)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Exalted and Most Noble House Gryffindor (inherited from Freya Lillian Potter and Charlus Henry Potter)**_

_**Heir Claimant of the Most Ancient and Noble House Black (inherited from Dorea Persephone Potter)**_

_**Magical anomalies present in the body:**_

_**Magically altered physique and blood, bearing traits of Houses Pendragon and Le Fay.**_

_**Absorbed fragment of soul, belonging Tom Marvollo Riddle.**_

_**Absorbed magical power, belonging to Tom Marvollo Riddle and Dorea Persephone Potter.**_

_**Soul of Dorea Persephone Potter, sealed in the forehead.**_

Henry chuckled a little when he read it all, before turning to Ragnok and speaking to him again.

"So, I am now officially the son of the very King Arthur Pendragon and Morgana Le Fay? Not that I am complaining, but if that is the case, then why I am not Prince Claimant or Heir to House Pendragon, if you don't mind me asking?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who answered immediately to that one.

"The Exalted and Royal House Pendragon, much to the grief and sorrow of many, had effectively seized its existence soon after Queen Morgana had cursed the entire line of Arthur Pendragon and Guinevere Gryffindor, to have the magic and blood of Pendragon in all of their descendants completely extinguished. Since King Arthur Pendragon had disowned in blood and magic all of his children from Queen Morgana prior to the curse, this has left House Pendragon effectively without any heirs and heiresses, ending it with King Arthur Pendragon." Ragnok informed Henry. "Though, it would seem that Queen Morgana had managed to preserve some of magical essence of her husband, hence why you are now son of King Arthur and Queen Morgana. Though the blood and magic of Pendragon family are effectively gone, their material possessions, along with all the possession of Houses Le Fay, Slytherin, Gaunt, Potter and Peverell, are yours. And that includes all of the vaults, properties, artifacts, books, scrolls and many more things, including the official oath of friendship and assistance from Goblin Nation to House Le Fay, if you will have it."

"And I shall, Mr. Ragnok." Ragnok bowed respectfully to the newest Prince Le Fay. "Just how much in terms of monetary possessions and valuables, do I now own, if I may ask?"

"To learn the exact numbers, we would require some time to perform an audit of your possessions and money." Henry nodded to Ragnok, silently giving his approval to that. "You will have the list made in shortest notice, Your Highness. But, in rough and without precise calculations, you may already claim the status as the richest Wizard in the world, as Houses Le Fay and Slytherin were among the richest Houses at time, especially the former, having gained all of monetary assets of Camelot. House Le Fay holds 5 vaults in here, Gringotts, with 1st through 5th respectably, while Slytherin have 3 vaults, Peverells and Potters 2 each, and Gaunts only one, which is almost completely empty as at this very moment, Your Highness, while the other 10 are brimming with gold, jewels and more."

"Hm, that is good to know…" Henry rubbed his chin, before putting on his glamour ring. "Mr. Ragnok, am I to understand that Lord and Lady Fleamont have had absolutely no access to the exact and precise information, regarding Houses Potter and Peverell's vaults', including the fact of there being several vaults for each House?"

"No, and they most certainly could not have had any access to it, as Griphook hadn't informed them of it, Your Highness." Ragnok told Henry, who nodded to him. "The only one with the access to this kind of restricted information is Lord of the House, like yourself, who themselves aren't allowed to tell such information even to their closest relatives, even sons and daughters. Only Lord of the House may hold such knowledge."

"Good, because I wish to modify my earlier deal." Ragnok was interested to hear what his client had to say. "Grant those two and their spawn access to only two vaults, one for Potters and one for Peverells, and keep any and all information about the other two as secret as possible. I imagine that the money in just two of those vaults would be more than enough for them to spend without care. As for the loaning details, they remain the same."

"Considering that House Fleamont, before your grandfather's death, only had access to vault, with its monetary assets being only 76,9% of one of the Potters' vaults, they will most certainly be elated." Ragnok told Henry such sensitive information, making him cock his brow upwards. "Considering the deception you've been put through by them, it is only fitting, in the eyes of my bank, that you have the information about your _future _assets given to you."

"How considerate of you… One more thing, before we finish our dealings for today." Henry drew Ragnok's attention to himself. "It is my understanding that William Arthur Weasley is an employed by Gringotts Bank, if my memory serves me correctly."

"He is, Your Highness." Ragnok confirmed. "He was employed by our Egyptian branch in Cairo as a Junior Curse Breaker, having served there quite well. He has recently been promoted to the rank of Senior Curse Breaker and transferred into our branch of Gringotts Bank. Given your situation and new status, am I to understand that you would wish him removed from here? I can have him fired without any consequences to us and you within five minutes from now, if you wish, Your Highness."

"Tempting, but out of all the Weasley I had the displeasure of meeting, he is actually not half bad." Henry mused to himself, thinking about the possible way of removing a potential member of Order of the Phoenix. "Would it be possible to have him transferred somewhere, where he would be able to retain his current position, or get a higher one, but would be of no use to Dumbledore and his family, safe for monetary assistance?" Henry asked of Ragnok, who thought about for a second.

"Hm, yes, there is one such posting. The post of Deputy Chief of Public Relations Department in Quebec's branch of Gringotts has been recently been left vacant. A position, which requires complete attention of holder and doesn't allow much opportunity for travels, along with being paid quite well, especially in comparison to his previous occupation." Ragnok told Henry. "Normally, we wouldn't consider such a request, but given your status and our alliance, Your Highness, my father, King Ragnok of Goblin Nation, would heed your request. I can have the transfer papers ready in short order, and by the end of the month, William Arthur Weasley will move to Quebec, or lose his job and any future employment opportunities. Given the post's prestige, high payment and a provided place to live, he will accept it eagerly. And, given our evaluation of his character and performance in our employment, he would do well in this position."

"Excellent, that sounds just about what Bill deserves: away from Dumbledore and family, and a relatively bright future." Henry smiled a little, having neutralized one of the members of Order of Phoenix. "Now, about the papers…" And just as he said it, a several documents appeared on the table.

"Allow me a few seconds to modify our original deal, Your Highness, as per your new requirements." Within said seconds, Ragnok was done and handed the quill to his client. "Now, please sign these papers, and you will officially be recognized by Ministry's system of Noble Houses and Lordships, as Prince Le Fay and Lord Slytherin. You can be assured that there will be none that will question your status, and as for your Lordships of Potter and Peverell, when you wish to reveal those to the world too, then you will have all the rights and recognition in the eyes of Ministry." Henry nodded to him, signing all of the papers, before they disappeared.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Ragnok." Henry gave him a curt bow, with Ragnok responding in kind.

"The pleasure all is mine, Your Highness, and you may address me simply as Ragnok." Ragnok gave him a toothy smile. "The Gringotts Bank and Goblin Nation are honored to do business with Prince Le Fay. Whenever you may require our services, we will happily provide you with them. And as for the audit of your assets and belongings, you will receive the full review via an Owl mail before this month ends."

"I will certainly do business with you at later date. And until then, may your gold flow, Ragnok."

"And may your enemies taste your blade, Your Highness." And with that being said, Henry left the room, heading back into the foyer, where Regulus and Faye were already waiting for him.

"There you are, we were starting to get a little worried for you." Faye spoke up to him, with Henry nodding to them both. "So, is it safe to assume that you've done what you came here for?"

"Yeah, that and much more." Henry said to them both. "This is not the discussion to be held in public. Best we talk about with everyone back in the mansion."

"Agreed, but while we are here, Faye and I would like to do a bit of shopping for our kids that will be attending Hogwarts." Regulus took out of his pocket a silver coin and gave it to Henry. "Password is Hades, you can use it in one of the empty booths right over there, if you would like to go back and rest up bit. We'll be with you and Arcturus in a few hours."

"Will do, and thank you for coming along on this one." Henry thanked them, with both Regulus and Faye smiling him and nodding, before he left them alone, while the couple moved out of Gringotts and back to the street.

* * *

**Well, sorry about a bit of an abrupt end, but this has been turning out to be quite along chapter already. I hope that this chapter has answered all of your questions left in the last chapter, but to clarify, let me go into a better detail for those that didn't get it.**

**1\. Allowing Potters access to Henry's money. Many of you asked why he did that and that it was stupid of Henry to give Potters access, and that he should've simply given access to Rose only. Well, if you've been asking these questions, and also pointing out that he should've given access to Rose only, then you haven't understood Henry quite yet.**

**The reason why Henry didn't do as you all suggested to me was because if he did it, then he would've drawn attention to himself and, more importantly in his mind, to Rose**. **At this moment in history, Rose is considered to be dead by most, including Potters and the Order, and if Henry gave her the access to Vaults and Potters learned of it, then Order and Potters would know that she is alive, and would start looking for her, purposefully. It wouldn't take them long to discover that House Black helps her, and even if she were to remain safe, Dumbledore and Potters would've not stopped trying to get her. Henry understood that, and in his mind, putting his sister in any kind of spotlight and danger is a taboo. This guy has gone to Azkaban just to keep her safe, so you know that his sis' safety for him is a top priority.**

**No, instead of that or locking the accounts, he gave Potters those accounts, with a bit of twist. Why? So that he could lure Potters and the Order into false sense of assurance about his death and their advantage, letting Henry and his allies operate safely and without trouble of Order looking out for them. And if you think that Potters will get him Weasley poor with their spending, then allow me to remind you, that as of this chapter, he's got more money than Tywin Lannister and Mace Tyrell put together, if you know who I mean.**

**2\. Dorea's soul. Yep, she is sealed up in forehead, and she is the reason how he had managed to survive the bowels of Azkaban. Now, just because she is sealed up in him, doesn't make Henry a Horcrux of any kind, and no, he isn't possessed by her or by Voldy's soul fragment. Dorea simply keeps her grandson safe in what way she can, and her sacrifice and being in his forehead, makes Henry very much immune to quite a few nasty things, like Leggimence and even Dementors, to a certain degree. There are plans for Dorea, but that is all I have to say about her.**

**3\. Henry's status now. Henry now is officially Prince Le Fay and magically adopted as son of Arthur Pendragon and Morgana Le Fay. As was explained in chapter, House Pendragon is gone for good, so don't expect it back, while House Le Fay is revived by Henry now. As to why Morgana had gone through all this trouble with adoption, evaluation and other things: she needed to be certain that any potential Prince Claimant would put the prosperity of her House before all, and that he will be able to make it great again for certain (unlike someone in the real world that we know of…). So, in short, Henry now is primarily Prince Le Fay, with Lordships of Slytherin, Potter, Peverell and Gaunt added up into the mix. So don't get confused if he now associates himself as Le Fay first. Oh, and why Prince instead of King? Simple: He would only be able to use the rank of King if he were to be crowned as ruler of England. So, instead of that, he holds the title of Prince, second-best thing in Magical World.**

**Okay, I think I'll leave it at that, but if you have any questions, suggestions, or you want to share your opinion, then be my guest and leave a review or PM. Always happy for one.**

**Oh, and someone asked what Henry looks like now. Well, I picture him like Vergil from DMC5 with Dante's hair, with Vergil's voice. And also, next chap will focus up on Order, its members and will be a time skip from the current date, to move the plot along.**

**See ya soon!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Grimmauld Place 12. Two and a half weeks after Henry Le Fay was freed.**

"So, since there is now a free spot, Dad is hoping to get that post in Illvermony." Nymphadora entered the house, talking with Kingsley who followed her just a step behind. "Mom even told me that Dad's even thinking about selling the house here and move on permanent basis to Salem, if he gets the post."

"Well, considering that he is one of the top veteran Hit Wizards in the Department, with a couple of decorations, Ted shouldn't have any trouble getting the job." Kingsley said to Nymphadora, who nodded to him, as they moved to the place of Order's meeting. "And are you okay, with your parents moving to Salem? It is on the other side of the Atlantic."

"To be honest, Shacks, I was actually myghty relieved when Mom told me about it." Nymphadora admitted to him. "What with Voldemort back and soon out for blood, and Mr. All for the Greater Good using every dirty trick in the book, I'll honestly feel _a lot _better, knowing that my folks are good 3 thousand miles away from it all. Plus, it's not like I won't be able to visit them when I want to, nobody had canceled portkeys. And, if we are being honest…" Nym took a quick glance, making sure that only she and Kingsley were around and not heard. "I believe that Harry had actually asked Regulus to help Dad with the post, tough neither will admit it to me or Dad."

Kingsley nodded to Nymphadora, understanding and believing that it could be true, seeing how he knew by now how close former Henry Potter, now Henry Le Fay, was with Tonks' family. And it didn't surprise him in the slightest that Tonks' parents would be moving out of England and that she was glad that it was happening. He himself had sent his wife and their kids to the continent just a week ago, to live on Sardinia, in his family's summer mansion, well away from England and Death Eaters.

Such practice wasn't anything new, as during the First Wizarding War, wizards and witches in great numbers had left the Great Britain in hopes of getting away from the chaos and being caught in the middle of a war they didn't sign up for. The majority of the immigrants were half-bloods and Muggleborns, the very prime targets for Voldemort's rage and fury. Kingsley suspected that in the coming months, there will be the next great exodus of wizards and witches, especially once everyone will realize that the old terror that was Voldemort is back.

But for now, the Ministry has been doing their best suppressing any and all rumors about the return of the Dark Lord, with Fudge and his cronies using Daily Prophet, their authority and every trick in the book to keep up the appearance of stability and calmness. Most of the attempts made by Dumbledore to reveal the truth about Voldemort have done nothing, and only served to backfire at him, painting him as an old and even deluded Wizard, who tries to garner more and more popularity and power for himself.

He and the Order had to change tactics, when it was discovered that Dumbledore and many of the Orders' members were in risk of losing their posts in the Ministry if they had continued with their propaganda. So for now, Order had mainly focused on tracking Voldemort and his Death Eaters, as well as gathering information, along with defending the Department of Mysteries, for whatever reason.

At the same time as Fudge and his party were digging their own future graves, and Dumbledore continued to play the chess master, Amelia Bones had carefully and cautiously weeding out all the potential spies, turncoats, traitors and corrupt Aurors and Hit Wizards in her own Department. Knowing full well about the powers and influences of Dumbledore and Voldemort, Head of the DMLE was making sure that the Ministry's primary fighting force was ready and able to take them both down. And while she couldn't fire the Marauders, for now, she could, however, make sure that Potter, Black and Lupin, had any access or source to sensitive information.

Along with that she had employed Alastor Moody, now their firm and loyal supporter, back into instructing role, preparing Aurors for the fight to come. The old scarred Auror was all too happy to oblige, especially since he learned about the plan that Bones and Blacks had hatched together, being more than a little motivated to help them. Plus, knowing that Charlus and Dorea's grandkids were safe and sound did well for his mind and determination. Old Auror may've lost quite a bit of his youthful reflexes and grace, but he had more knowledge than anyone on taking down Death Eaters, and now he putting it all into the minds and bodies of Aurors.

Nymphadora and Kingsley moved through the hall and walked into the meeting room, where the discussions were being held in full. There was everybody, minus Minerva and Alastor, who had been here when Nym informed them all about Henry's death. And since then there were no talks or suspicion about the current status of Henry, especially with Potters getting their "access" to vaults. But right now the discussion wasn't about the Potters, but rather about the Weasleys.

"Absolutely not! I forbid you to take that post, Bill, and that is final!" Molly Weasley put everyone's eardrums to the test, as she screamed at her eldest son. "Don't you understand that you simply can't take that job, not when you the Order, Dumbledore and your family need you right here? No, it is decided: you aren't going to take that post! That is my word!"

"Mother, maybe you didn't hear me when I said first. If I don't take that post, then Gringotts will fire me, as in kick me out of my job for good." Bill Weasley argued to his Mom and family, while Nymphadora and Kingsley quietly moved past them. "And once I'm out of job, I won't be able to find any other work, as it is general policy to check potential employs working history, and Gringotts makes sure to discredit those that they fire. I'm not left with much of a choice here, and frankly, this post is too good to pass up."

"Um, Hestia, what's with up with our residential banshee and her brood this time?" Nym whispered to her friend, who answered to her.

"Bill here just told us that Gringotts Bank in Quebec has offered him a post of Deputy Chief of Public Relations Department. Apparently, the post comes packing with the living place, really good payment and opportunities for future, and since Goblins never like taking no for an answer, Bill decided to agree to take it." Hestia explained to Nymphadora, who nodded to her. "He decided to inform his family here and right now, and…" Hestia motioned to the near hysterical Molly Weasley.

"Bill, sweetie, if this is about a job then I'm sure that you could get a good job at Hogwarts, with Professor Dumbledore here. Or better yet, why not go and work in the Ministry, like your father here?" Molly suggested to him, not being able to bear with the thought of one of her sons moving away from her control. "Surely working there would be much better than in some _Quebec_, and especially for those thieving and scheming Goblins, not to mention that you'd be close by to us and be able to help the Order…"

"Mom, this is my life, not yours, not Dad's, and certainly not Dumbledore's and Order's." Bill said in a cold and serious tone. "I know how much this Order means for you all, but I have got my own life to build and this promotion would ensure that I don't have anything worry about. I've already said yes to Ragnok, and I'll be leaving for Quebec in three days." Bill told them all, with Molly's face contorting in rage at what she just heard.

"William Arthur Weasley, you will stay in England and do as I tell you to do! I am your mother, and don't you dare to abandon your family like Percy did, not when there is a war coming and when your family needs you the most!" Molly shrieked at him, breathing heavily at what she just said.

"Bill, I get it that it all sounds nice and cozy for you there in Canada, but Mom does have a point." Charlie supported their mother, getting glared at by his older brother. "The Order and us need all the help we can get, and you moving to the other side of the Atlantic will not help the matters. Frankly, it sounds to me like you are chickening out on us, being a coward. Please, I know you better than that. You are a Gryffindor, and Gryffindors never back down from a fight, right?"

"Yeah, Bill, it's like you don't even wanna give a damn about our family, just like Percy!" Ron decided to add his bit to it all, finally seeing a chance to shine on his own. "No real Gryffindor would ever run away with his tail between his legs, but I guess that Sorting Hat had made a mistake with you, because you sound like a slimy Slytherin to me! No real Weasley would ever run away when his family needs him!"

"Bill, don't be silly! You know that Will here is the Boy-Who-Lived, and he'll need all the help we can get him, if he is to defeat You-Know-Who." Ginny chimed in, with William Potter nodding to her. "How will you be able to help us all if you are half a world away from us? Charlie and Ron are right: you are acting like a cowardly snake of Slytherin, not like a brave lion of Gryffindor. I'd even say that you are starting to go dark on us all, just like those Death Eaters."

"Bill, my boy, I know that you think that what you are doing is for the best, but please listen to your family here." Dumbledore, with his usual twinkle in the eyes, suggested to his former student. "I fear that without their support and love, you may stray away from the good and right path in these turbulent times. Now, I am sure that I would able to accommodate you and offer you a teaching post in Hogwarts. The post of History Professor, perhaps? I'm sure that such a good and honored post would be more than enough for you, especially since Binns is long overdue for his retirement and final rest. Wouldn't you want to succeed our good friend Binns in his post, making his passing a peaceful one at thought of his work being continued by a capable and good-natured man?"

"See, Bill? It's settled then, you are staying in England and will go on to teach there, and no more that foolish talk about moving away or Gringotts or anything like that." Molly was practically celebrating her victory, but it was far too early for that, as Bill spoke up.

"So, that's how you see it, huh?" He said in a bitter voice, getting everyone's attention. "Being like Percy, not enough Gryffindor for you, and all because of what? Because I want to make my own life and live it as I want? Have it ever occurred to you that Percy might have the right idea in mind? Not one with trusting the Ministry, but one with trying to make a better living for himself, to get away from your damn domineering and choking control." Bill said in a bitter and angry voice.

"William, I do not like what you are saying to me. Apologize to me now and…" Molly said dangerously to him, but was interrupted by Bill.

"And what, take up the post at Hogwarts, go on and help your Boy Wonder here, and hope that I don't get killed off in an ambush like Uncles Fabian and Gideon? And all because I got caught up in a war I want _nothing _to do with me?!" Bill practically shouted at his mother, who looked appalled, while he directed his anger at his brothers and sister. "Chickening out on you, Charlie? You'd know all about it, wouldn't you, little brother. You may've fooled everyone here with that love of Dragons, but I know better, and I know exactly why you'd turned down that invitation to play for the National Quidditch Team." Bill looked with a serious eye at his younger brother, with Charlie's eyes widening when he understood what Bill had meant.

"Bill, please, you've promised…" Charlie practically pleaded him, with everyone's attention turning to him. "I-I was wrong when I said, and please don't tell them. They don't need to know it, not like this!"

"Know what? Charlie, son, is there something that we should know?" Arthur Weasley spoke up in a worried voice, for the first time since the meeting started. "Son, you know that you can tell us all, right? That is what family is for."

"Oh, he knows, Dad." Bill said in a sarcastic tone of voice. "But he also knows what you, or rather Mom, think about us doing something… foolish, so to speak. And Charlie here has done one big dumb mistake, as he had told me back in 1991."

"Bill, please, I beg you, not like this!" Charlie was near begging point at this one.

"Hey Nym, do you remember Cornelia Lestrange, from your year, but in Slytherin?" Bill turned his attention to the Auror, who blinked a couple of times, first a shock of being noticed, and then at remembering the girl.

"Yeah, I remember her. She was my partner on Ancient Runes since the third year." Nym spoke up. "She was a bit shy and a little uptight, but when compared to the rest of them pureblooded idiots and Slytherin slime balls, she was the nicest thing to come out of Lestranges. One of my besties, actually, which is actually really nice, considering our relation."

"What relation do you mean?" Sirius asked of her, before it suddenly dawned on him. "Wait, Lestrange… Is she…"

"Yeah, she's my cousin on mom's side, being the daughter of Aunt Bellatrix and her uncle Rodolphus, although she was raised by her grandparents." Nym told everyone, shocking most of the room. "She didn't exactly go around and tell us who her parents were, but she told me and I promised to keep a secret for her while we are in Hogwarts. She was really afraid that for what her parents did, she'd be a target of their victims' families. All was good, but then she suddenly disappeared in our last year during spring's vacation, and I haven't heard from her since. All I could think was that she ran off with that lover she was telling me about. That was until I've found out that she was dead a year later, with her grandparents having buried her. Don't know about her beau, though."

"Oh, she ran off, but not with the lover, but the lover's _kid_." Bill said, folding his arms and looking at his younger brother, who looked down in shame, with everyone looking at Charlie with shock. "Poor girl was head over heels in love with you, Charlie, but when she found out that she was with your child, you, as you've put it so nicely, chickened out and ran off to your dear Romania and to your beloved Dragons, telling no one a thing and dumping her off without even goodbyes."

"N-no, this can't be true. Its' all just lies! No son of mine would ever even look at a daughter of those monsters, much less love her!" Molly refused to believe it. "Charlie, come now, tell us that Bill is wrong. He is wrong and is just trying to lie, right?!"

"Charlie… I-Is this true?" Arthur looked shocked and appalled at his second eldest son. "Y-you r-ran away from… And with Lestranges' daughter… H-How could you do such a low thing?!"

"I was bloody scared, alright!" Charlie shouted in rage, unable to cope with it any longer. "Yes, I was dating Cornelia, and I was bloody happy about it too, and I damn well knew how you would react if you found about us, so I never told anyone about it! I knew for a fact that you'd rather kill me than have me dating and bedding daughter of Voldemort's prime lieutenants!"

"Yeah, you were happy. Until she told you that she was with your child and wanted to make your relations official." Bill continued, with Charlie looking miserably at him. "And, instead of doing the good and honorable right thing, like you all are telling me right now here, Charlie here decided to bail out. After all, he never wanted to be a father at 18, much less a husband to Lestranges' daughter, and if Quidditch was out of question for him, there were always his beloved dragons. And as to ensure that she'd never talk about them, he made her take the Unbreakable Vow, practically forcing the poor girl never to tell anyone about who was the man that robbed her of her honor. And she agreed, taking that secret with her into the grave, when she died of miscarriage."

"Miscarriage?" Nym's mouth hung open, before her freckles disappeared, face took angular features and hair became blood red from anger, when she turned to face Charlie. "You son of bitch! You best fucking run back to your Romania right now, because when I get my hands on you, I'll fucking rip your balls off and feed them to you! Cornie was the nicest and most loyal friend I had, and you went on to knock her up and abandon her?!" Nymphadora was ready to move and literally kill him, if she wasn't stopped by paralyzing charm sent by Snape.

"So much for one of Gryffindor's golden boys…" He sneered with his scarred and disfigured face. "Though not much a loss, really. The girl lacked any sort of commitment and determination towards achieving one's goals. Her demise is nothing surprising for me, and I doubt her parents would be all that surprised when they hear of it…"

"Snape, that's enough." Kingsley stopped him. "I'd hold your tongue, if I were you, because Tonks here can hear you all, and I'm not in the mood of stopping her from doing something stupid. I might consider even helping her in this one, honestly."

"Charlie, my boy, I… I don't even know what to say… I can't tell you how disappointed I am with you." Arthur said in a hollowed voice to his son.

"Good riddance." Molly said sharply, shocking her husband, the twins and many others. "I can't say that I am proud of your, as I am very much disappointed with you, Charlie, but at least that girl is dead and her spawn as well. Obviously, you simply fell for that dark witch's wiles and she wanted to get her hands on you to lead you astray. Wish you had come to me and I'd have helped you with her, but at least now no one will know of this shame and we can move on."

"Mom, a-are you bloody mental?!" Fred said in a shocked voice.

"That girl was one of the nicest ladies in Hogwarts, and she died 'cause Charlie bailed out of his duties as a man!" George continued for his brother, equally disturbed.

"And all you can say is…" Fred continued.

"Good riddance?!" Both twins said in unison, before they exchanged glances and speaking up. "We are sorry, but we need to go and get some fresh air. And Bill- we are with you and go for it. And as for you, Charlie- we thought better of you!" Twins said in unison, before getting out of house as fast as they could.

"Now, where were we? Ah yes, running away with tail between his legs, right, Ron?" William spoke up to him, with a good deal of deathly glare being involved in it. "Also something you know all about, considering that you and your friend here tended to do that a lot, especially in your first year."

"I've never ran away from anything, and you've got nothing on me, you damn Slytherin coward!" Ron shouted at Bill.

"Funny you should mention Slytherin, because I met an interesting young girl a few years ago, back in Egypt, who told me about one very brave Slytherin that had saved her." Bill fixed his eyes on Ron, who still looked confused at what was happening. "She was actually once your housemate and was in the same year as you. Maybe you remember her name, Hermione Granger?" Ron and Will instantly paled at the mention of her.

"That bushy haired know-it-all, with that insufferable attitude, what about her?" Snape remembered the girl, with Bill speaking up.

"Well, she had quite the tale to tell me, about that whole troll incident on Halloween of '91…"

* * *

**Three years ago. Hogwarts. Girl's bathroom.**

Hermione Grange had always prided herself as an intellectual, knowledgeable and bright person, one who believed that having knowledge is the ultimate form of power and wealth. And when she found out that she was gifted with magic and that magic could be learnt in spells, she immediately understood that with her attributes, she would excel at it, just as she had excelled in her studies of normal mundane subjects. Sure, she knew she could be a bit a know-it-all and she always prided herself as having a greater deal of knowledge than the others, but she was sure that she would be able to get friends in Hogwarts, the very best Magical school, where only the best could go to, like her. She was so full of hopes, which had ultimately come crushing down.

Though she had been sorted into Gryffindor, the very best House in her opinion, she quickly found out that no one in her House and even year group had liked her. She was constantly ridiculed and mocked for her hair, her teeth, or worse, her thirst for knowledge and accumulated information. Hermione had thought it was bad when she was in mundane school, but in Hogwarts, it gotten really bad, and the majority of those that had ridiculed her were her own housemates, especially that idiotic Ron Weasley and the Brat-Who-Lived, as she called him, William Potter. Not a day went by when she wasn't called names, had to clean up herself after a bad prank, or closed up in a broom closet. She had tried to talk to Professor McGonagall, but she refused to even listen to her, not wanting to hear that her very own Lions were acting like bullies.

Today, however, was the worst, as Potter and Weasley, along with most of her year students had been particularly brutal in their name calling, pranks and bullying. That, coupled with months of constant bullying, welled up feelings and absolute lack of teachers' attention towards the situation, had caused Hermione to break down in one of the girls' bathrooms, letting out in tears and cries all that had boiled up in her. She has had it with them all, that was for certain, and if nobody was really even caring about her wellbeing here, then she shouldn't even stay here, especially knowing that. Maybe her parents would be able to take her back home, and she'd go back to normal school…

Those were her thoughts, until she had exited the booth… and screamed in horror and terror at the sight of a giant mountain troll standing right inside, roaring and swinging his club right at her. By some miracle, she had managed to duck for cover and moved back into the booth, but it proved to be a bad idea, as troll swung his club right there crashing all booths and nearly killing Hermione. She had been quick to duck down, but unfortunately for her, her left arm ended up being pierced by a large piece of wood, causing her to scream in pain.

For a moment as she rose up with tears of pain, she noticed both Potter and Weasley looking at her with terrifying looks, before running away with screams of terror, distracting the troll enough for Hermione to get out. Unfortunately, the horror, pain and increasing blood loss had forced her to fall down on the floor, right in front of Troll, who was all too glad at the opportunity to crush his dinner. Hermione had closed her eyes, with the entire her life passing right in front of her eyes, preparing to lose her life.

"_Accio_ Hermione Granger!" Suddenly, Hermione's body had practically flown out of her place and she suddenly ended up being held by a strong hand, pushing her right behind.

She took a glancing look at who was it, and noticed that it was tall, strong looking young student, one of the upper students, possibly from the last year. He was dressed in the Slytherin's green and silver colors, looking well with short black hair and soft green looks. She recognized the student the next second that she looked at him. It was none other than Henry James Potter, older brother to the hooligan that has been terrorizing him, and one of the most hated students in Hogwarts, all because of him being the first Potter sorted into Slytherin. She had heard he was practically the second coming of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, yet here he was, saving her life.

Henry looked at Hermione, accessing her and what was done to her, before nodding her and motioning her to stay behind, which the girl did. After that he turned to face the advancing troll, raising his wand and speaking once more.

"_Immobilus." _One charm and Troll's movements were immobilized. "Don't know how you got in, troll, nor does it matter that match to me. All you need to know is that I _really _hate it when big boys like you pick on little people like her, and _especially _when they hurt them just to get their jollies out of the act. Now, I'll make this quick, beast. _Avada Kedavra._"

The green magical beam struck the troll, and in the next second, its dead body had hit the floor, breathless and lifeless. Hermione was in shock at not just seeing one of the three unforgivable curses was being used, but also at the fact that it was just used to save her life. She looked, with her wincing look up at the young man, who looked back at her and knelt down before her, looking at her injury, examining it carefully, before he carefully put his hand on the wood.

"Hm, I won't lie. I'm going to pull that thing out of your arm, and it will hurt, a lot, so I'll put a numbing spell on your arm, so you won't feel much pain from it. And before you say anything, without pulling it out of your arm, I won't be able to stop the bleeding and heal your arm. Ready?" Hermione nodded to him, and the very next second, Henry quickly put his spell on her arm and pulled out of her the piece of wood

Meanwhile, Henry wasn't wasting any precious moments, as he waved his wand around Hermione's wound, forcing any remaining splinters to leave her blood and body, before stopping the bleeding completely. Next after that, while the numbing charm didn't dissipate, he began to reverse blood back into her wound, before healing it. Despite Henry having learned the healing spells and practiced them since he was in his second year, he wasn't a professional healer, and because of that, he had left Hermione with a scarred flesh where the wound was. Putting his wand away, he stood up, while Hermione looked up to him and spoke up.

"Wh-why… Why did you help me?" She asked him with a shaky and weak voice, with Henry actually looking amused at her.

"Well, I could say that I was feeling heroic and wanted to go and find me a damsel to save, but that would be utter rubbish with me." Henry simply chuckled to her, with Hermione giving him a weak smile. "If you want an honest answer, than I was just on my way back to dorm, when I saw the two Gryffindor prime parasites running out here, and heard a troll in here. After that, I decided to do the decent thing and save you, and also let of some steam on the beast here. Now, I could ask you what you were doing here, Miss Granger, but seeing how you've become this year's prime target for bullying and harassment, I think I can make the honest assumption of you letting out what has been welled up in you."

"Y-you are right…" She nodded to him, before she lunged herself at Henry, wrapping her arms around him, crying her eyes out. "Th-thank you, thank you, thank you…" She kept repeating, with Henry not pulling back and simply embracing her softly and carefully, caressing her mane of hair.

"It's alright now." He softly whispered to her, putting his experience of caring for younger children, like his Rose, to use. "Come now, let's have you looked at by Poppy. Unlike the rest of the staff here, she actually cares for the children here. Don't worry, I'll walk you there." Hermione nodded to him and the pair had left the bathroom, only to run into Minerva McGonagall and Severus Snape, with Potter and Weasley following closely behind them and looking scared.

"Mr. Potter, Ms. Granger, explain yourselves, what you were two doing in that bathroom, at once!" Professor McGonagall commanded, with Hermione already wanting to cover for her savior, only for Henry reply to her Head of the House in an angry and sharp manner.

"Ms. Granger was trying to stay alive there, while you and the rest of your cavalcade of prideful baboons were stuffing your mouths, celebrating the idiot's job well done over Voldemort." Never had Hermione heard or saw someone talk in such a manner to one of Professors, much less Professor McGonagall. "Now, as for how she ended up there, maybe you should finally stand up from your cushy pedestal and look at what your golden boys have been doing for the last 6 years."

"Mr. Potter, 20 points off Slytherin for your utter disrespect and..." Snape sneered in glee at the opportunity to put his enemy's son down in his place, only to be shut by Henry.

"Oh shut your trap, Snape! Go back in your dungeon and jack off of my whore of a mother!" Henry shut Snape, whose face contorted in one of utter rage and fury, with Henry turning back to the appalled McGonagall. "You were asking what I was doing there, Professor? I was doing your bloody damn job of saving a student in urgent need of being saved, that's what! One would think that it was part of your job, but seeing as you not only ignore every and all acts of harassment, bullying and insulting that take place in here, especially by your very own House of Gryffindor, I have started to think that you, much like the rest of the staff here, don't give a flying fuck about the fate of students under your care!"

"M-Mr. Potter, I will not take such language and slander from you! 50 points off Slytherin and detention with Filch for…" McGonagall had composed herself enough to speak up again, only to be interrupted again by Henry.

"Go ahead and take 500 off my arse if you want, never cared about this moronic system of yours." Henry replied to her, causing McGonagall to go stiff with anger. "Now, if you and the Ghost of Canterbury are done, I will go and take this student to hospital to have her checked and hospitalized if needed. And after, you can go ahead and expel me out of here for telling you, Professor McGonagall, what really is really going on and how you bloody well allow your own fucking House go around and terrorize everyone they want, including _your very own fucking _Lions that you prance about being so noble and brave!" Henry and Hermione moved past the two shell shocked Professors, before Henry stopped right near the pair of Gryffindors.

"You two are lucky that she is alive, but mark my word: you do what you did to her to anyone else, and you _will _wish that you had to face a troll." Henry warned in cold and furious voice the pair, who nearly wet their pants, with Henry moving with Hermione towards the hospital.

"Thank you… I-I can't believe th-that she didn't do anything…" Hermione said, not letting go of Henry. "Sh-she told u-us that o-our House will be o-our family, but th-they…"

"I know." Henry softly said to her, holding her carefully. "You are not first student to suffer for being different from everyone else, nor are you the first student to find her pleas lost on deaf ears of those Professors. The students here, especially those of Slytherin and Gryffindor take it for an unspoken rule to harass and terrorize those that don't fit in for one reason or another, no matter how utterly stupid or senseless that reason is. You being born from non-magical parents and being the brightest witch of this year are enough reasons for those jackals to start their hunt."

"I thought it would be different here, different from m-my previous school, but this… This so much worse…" Hermione held back her tears, with Henry gently rubbing her shoulder. "Sh-She told us that I-I would be able to b-become a g-great w-witch, a-and that Hogwarts was th-the very best school i-in the Magical World."

"She tells that to every family that she goes to visit, believe me." Henry told her. "Maybe in the past Hogwarts was something great, but now… I have a little sister, Rose, and she'll be starting the next year. I'd much rather see her go to any other Magical School, even Durmstrang, but not this damn place. But, being born a Potter and to this particular cursed generation, I'm forced to witness as that brat and his arselicker make my sister's life here miserable. You know, I'm actually envious of you in this department."

"Y-you don't like your parents and brother?" She asked of him.

"No, I hate them, not just because of the fame and glory, but mostly because they don't give a damn about me and my little sister, especially her." Henry truthfully answered her. "I know it's a dumb question, but do your parents love and care for you?"

"Y-Yes, they always loved and cared for me. M-Mom d-didn't even want to let me g-go here, b-because she d-didn't trust that it would b-be as Professor h-had said…" Hermione told him.

"Then you are a very lucky girl, Hermione Granger." Henry chuckled dryly to her, but with no ill intent. "I don't know your parents, but I believe that the moment they found out about what is really happening here, they would move the mountains and skies, just to make sure you are safe. I don't think that you have been writing them about what was going on here, haven't you?" Hermione shook her head at this one, before she spoke up.

"No… B-But I think I will, when I have the chance." She said to him. "D-Do you know of any other Magical Schools, b-by any chance?"

"If I had my way, I and my sister would've gone to Illvermony, in the US. I hear that's the very thing that Hogwarts should be…"

* * *

**Present time.**

"She and her parents were on vacation in Cairo, and we ran into each other in the magical district. She told me everything that had happened, including what you two have been up to." Bill looked with a heated glare at his younger brother. "So don't preach to me about snakes and tails, Ronald. If there was a Gryffindor in that story, than it was Henry Potter." Potters and Weasleys looked repulsed at what Bill had said.

"You'd believe in the word of some damn bookworm of a mudblood over Headmaster here?!" Molly screeched at Bill, who looked near murderous at her. "She was obviously lying to you, trying to mix Willie's good name and deed with mud like her blood is. Come now Bill, you don't really believe that, now do you?"

"I don't bloody care at this point what to believe, Mom, especially after that last comment of yours." Bill said with cold rage. "And as for you, Ginny… The world doesn't revolve around your golden prince, and honestly, if trying to live my own life without you turning it upside down means going dark, then I think I'll be dark in your eyes. At least the one person that _truly _cares about me will know that I'm doing the right decision. Consider this my resignation, and good luck in your crusade." Bill grabbed his jacket and was moved towards the exit.

"The one who truly… William Weasley, you will stop right there, or you can forget the road back to our House and that your name is Weasley, do you hear me?!" That didn't stop Bill, with his mother continuing to scream at him. "Bill, I am warning you: one step through that door, and I'll disown you as my son! You'll be just like that mudblood wench you told us about, so…"

"Bill!" That was the voice of Arthur Weasley that had forced his son to stop and look back, along with Molly to shut up. "For whatever it's worth now, after all that was said, good luck to you, and I am proud of you, son." Bill looked nearly shocked when he heard his father speak, while everyone else was utterly baffled when they heard Arthur.

"Thank you, Dad." Bill said to him, before opening the door and stepping out of the Black's family home and out of the Order for good.

"Arthur, how could you allow him to leave?! And what is this about being proud of him?! He just betrayed our family and…" Molly continued to screech, before Arthur slammed his fist into the table shutting her up.

"My son has just made a monumental decision and decided to do what was right for him, Molly, and I am proud of him for that. I've always wanted to see all of my children be able to grow up into fine young men and be able to build their lives as they want it, and Bill does just that, and because of that I am proud of him." Arthur answered to her and everyone. "And I will not force _any _of my children to fight in this war, especially if there is a way for them to avoid being engulfed into it. Call me a coward, but I am here because of _my_ choice and because _I_ decided to come here. And as for Bill, anyone among you here that decides to call my son a coward will have to consider themselves as enemies of House Weasley for insulting its Heir Primus. As for what was revealed to us today, we will talk about this _at length _after the meeting. And Molly, threaten my son or anyone with _my status _as Head of the House, and I'll personally disown you out of the House, got that?" Arthur had sent a heated glare towards her, making her squirm and nod in response.

"Well, this sure has been one eventful meeting so far…" Nymphadora commented off-handedly, before asking something she wanted to know. "Um, where's Professor McGonagall? Shouldn't she also be here, not that I'd want to face her if she heard what was said here…"

"I've sent Minerva to Illvermony, to collect the records about four transfer students from there, who will be studying this year in Hogwarts, as part of exchange program between MACUSA and our Ministry." Dumbledore answered, getting everyone's attention. "Along with the students, we will also be hosting one of their teachers, who will take up the post of Professor for DADA for this year. And this is actually the reason why I've called this meeting today, since this man could very well be of much use to our cause…"

"Really? And who is he then, some American high ranking Auror in retirement?" Sirius asked of Professor Dumbledore, who shook his head, who produced magical photographs on the table.

"Not quite, Sirius." Dumbledore spoke up, with photos moving to everyone at the table. "Although, he has served in MACUSA as an Auror for 10 years, the last 6 years, he has spent as a teacher of DADA in Illvermony. However, while his experience as Auror and teacher are certainly valuable, it is his past before that truly makes him valuable to our cause. Now, Sirius, tell us, does the person on the photo look familiar to you?"

"Hm, now that you mention it..." Sirius looked carefully at the photo, before his eyes slowly widened when he recognized the man on it. "Bloody Merlin's arse… Is that _him_?!"

"Him? Sirius, do you recognize this man here?" James asked of him, also looking at it. "I'll say that he looks kinda familiar and there is even some resemblance to you, but…"

"Indeed there is resemblance, Potter, given the fact that this is Mutt's own little brother shown here, if I am not mistaken." Snape said, shocking everyone, while he turned to smiling Dumbledore. "It would you have managed to track down the ghost of Regulus Arcturus Black of all people, and drag him into the light, Professor."

"Yes, you could say that, Severus." Dumbledore chuckled. "Indeed, the man on the photo is our dear Sirius' younger brother Regulus, who had managed to disappear near 16 years ago without a trance. According to my friends in America and their government, he had received a full pardon for his association with the Dark Lord and Death Eaters, after a public trial before ICW. After that, he has gone on to become an Auror for MACUSA and very good one at that, if my sources are correct, before going on to teach at Illvermony Academy. During his time in America, Regulus had made himself a name as a very reliable and powerful Wizard, one of their top tier Aurors, as I am told. He has even received the Order of Merlin, Third Class, in recognition of his service and protection of people, especially a year and a half ago, when a group of American students was accidentally attacked by dementors, who were looking for Peter Pettigrew."

"I bet that coward had bought his freedom and status, just like the rest of his friends did." James sneered at Regulus' photo. "Headmaster, why would you even employ him? Reggie has always been a coward, and I bet that he ran away from the Dark Lord without lasting a week. For all we know, the moment he sets his foot in Hogwarts, he'll probably find some way for Death Eaters to get inside the castle and hurt everyone. Severus here will probably even help him at that."

"I'll have to agree with James on this one, Professor." Remus supported his friend on this one. "If you want to simply neutralize a potential threat, then why not simply let us capture him and throw him into Azkaban for his crimes?"

"I am afraid that the Court of International Confederacy had found him not guilty of any crime, safe for association with Dark Lord and his cohorts. For that he had managed earn his pardon before the court in some way, and because of that he is now a free and innocent man in the eyes of the law." Dumbledore informed them all. "However, while Regulus' will and convictions may not be as strong as that of his dear brother Sirius here, he could still be very much valuable to us, and I am sure that the young man would wish to truly earn his forgiveness for his past sins."

"Pft, valuable…" Sirius snorted at that one. "Professor, Regulus has always been a whipping boy for our parents, always wanting them to be proud of him. He is a spineless coward, much like Wormtail, if not worse. What's so valuable about him?"

"As much as I detest the notion, I am afraid that they are correct in their assessment, Headmaster." Severus spoke up again. "Regulus never had the stomach for any kind of violence, nor did he last long in Death Eaters, having apparently run off at the first opportunity he had gotten. And as for his combat magic… He is as useless at it as Pettigrew."

"Is that so, Severus?" Suddenly, a new voice spoke up, drawing the attention to the doorway. "I here I thought we were friends, but I guess I've overestimated your capacity for feeling any sort of attachment and friendship."

Stepping into the room and moving past Weasleys, Potters, Lupin and Black, was Regulus Arcturus Black, dressed in black jacket with white shirt underneath a black vest, couple with black pants and shoes. He looked every bit as dignified and powerful as a true Black Wizard would, showing not even a single hint of emotion or even his power out in the open. He took the place at the opposite head of the table, right across Dumbledore and Severus Snape, both eyeing the man with shocked and curious eyes, while Regulus simply looked at Nymphadora and spoke up.

"Nym, good to see you, girl. My missus and kids asked me to say hello and ask if you wouldn't mind visiting Salem this weekend. We'll be having a BBQ on Sunday, and you and with Andromeda and Ted are welcome to come by." Regulus smiled to his niece.

"Sure thing, Reg, I'll let my folks know and I think they'll love it. Though, we'd best arrive in a couple of days beforehand, to acclimate to the time zone and all that." Nym responded, ignoring the shocked looks that most people sent her across the room.

"Even better, we've got plenty of spare rooms in our house. Plus, we'll have far more time to catch up. Just give me the call when you, Ted and Andy have decided everything." Regulus smiled to her, before turning to everyone and losing his smile. "I must say, I was expecting something interesting to come out of my trip here, but to find the majority of the Order in here, that certainly is something I did not expect."

"Well, and we didn't expect you to be alive, _dear brother_." Sirius practically spat those words out, speaking up to Regulus. "I thought you had died all those years ago, but no, you are alive and well, with a family of your own as well. So, mind explaining why no one, aside from Nymphadora and her folks, had known that you were actually alive and kicking, hm?"

"Because they, along with Grandfather, are among the only people that I wanted to know about me, Sirius." Regulus simply answered to him, not missing the scowl from him. "And to be quite honest with you, I wasn't even planning on returning back to Britain, ever. However, as it would happen, your dear old Headmaster and Leader of Light here has a different opinion, seeing as he had managed to blackmail the President of MACUSA and Headmaster of Illvermony to send not just me, but also my own children and wife here with me. You just can't let people live their lives in peace and quiet, can you, Dumbledore?" Regulus asked with sarcasm of Dumbledore.

"Now, Regulus, my boy, this is no way to treat your dear old Headmaster." Dumbledore had his usual twinkle in his eyes, as he spoke to his former student. "Now, I assure you, that I had no ulterior motive, other than allowing you and your family the opportunity to reconnect with their historical homeland, and for you to seek a possible forgiveness for the missteps you've made in the past."

"Reconnect with the historical homeland, right when Voldemort decides to return back to life and is gathering his cohorts." Regulus said to Dumbledore and everyone, surprising them. "How very Slytherin of you, Professor, which is something, considering you being a Gryffindor _and _Leader of Light. One would think that putting the lives of innocents into danger is something opposite to the Light. So don't try and bullshit me, Dumbledore: I know your game and what you are at. And that is exactly why I am here, to give you all a warning: stay the fuck away from my kids and Faye." Regulus told them all, with Lily's eyes widening when she heard that name.

"Faye? You and Faye have married?" She asked in a shocked tone, with Regulus turning to face her. "So, you are now the husband of the Head of House Stewart, are you not? Tell me, how is that little Miss Perfect doing, hm? Does she remember her dear _betrayed _older sister?"

"Oh she does, _Freya_." Regulus saw how Lily's face contorted at the mention of her birth name. "She remembers all too well how you've sickened your boyfriend and his friends on her, once you learned of being excluded from the House. And no, she has passed her rights and status as Head of House Stewart onto Samuel Stewart, her Uncle, and unlike you, she didn't make any scandal or dishonored her family in any form or fashion, hence why she and our kids are always welcome by Stewarts."

"Wait, what is he talking about, Mom?" William asked of her, confused, with Regulus deciding to lift up the shroud of mystery for him.

"Long story short, kid: your mother is a Pureblood and was an Heiress of a Noble House, like your father here, but after she showed her true colors to her little sister and Regent of the House, along with getting knocked up when she was in her 6th year, she was excluded from the House and forbidden of ever using the name Freya Lillian Stewart." Regulus told him, before turning his head towards Dumbledore. "I know your game, Dumbledore, and I am warning you for the first and last time to keep your hands away from them, or I will make you pay for hurting them in any way. The same goes for your second master too, Severus." Regulus looked at his former friend. "Yeah, I know that the half-blooded snake is back and that you are still on his payroll, so I want you to give him this message: if you try and come after one my children or any true member of House Black, you and your minions will regret that decision dearly."

"Those are some very bold words, for someone who had run away so cowardly in the past." Severus sneered at Regulus, who wasn't even fazed by that. "Do you really think that the Dark Lord, or we for that matter, will take that warning seriously, Regulus?" All of us here know for sure, that you are a coward and a weakling, as you've always been, and the only reason why you even got accepted into Death Eaters was because Bellatrix claimed that you had a very great potential in you."

"For all her flaws, my cousin Bella was quite right about that one, Severus." Regulus assured him. "You can doubt me all you like, but if you think that I am as weak as you believe me to be, then you are in for a nasty surprise."

"Oh really?" James laughed at him openly, as he stepped forward towards Regulus, standing right next to him now. "Did little Reggie here finally grow a pair of balls? We all know that you only ever acted tough just so you could get into that bitch's panties, but she ain't here, so you don't get to act all tough and mighty. You are just one proud ponce that thinks he is hot stuff, but in reality nothing more than a spineless, miserable little boy, whose only girlfriend took pity on him after we made you our bitch and pissed on you." He laughed in the open with Sirius and chuckling Remus and Lily at that what he said.

It was true, as back then, Regulus wasn't strong enough to fully defend Faye from those four freaks, and they had put him a hospital for a month, but not before beating him to a bloody pulp and even pissing on him. True, back then, he was "their bitch"…

But that was over 20 years, and Regulus has spent those years well enough. In quick motion, his arms unfolded, and his right fist lunged itself into James' gut, beating the air out of his lungs as he laughed. Capitalizing on the shock factor, Regulus moved to James' right, grabbing his right arm, before giving him a knee-breaking kick on his right leg, forcing the Potter to scream in pain and fall in his knees. In next second, Regulus grabbed his head by the hair, and slammed it against the table, breaking his nose and driving shattered glass into his face, whilst still holding James' right arm. While everyone was too shocked with what they were seeing, Regulus bent close to James and whispered to him.

"Call my wife a bitch, or anything like that, and I'll _make _you in to a literal bitch." He warned him, before twisting James' arm and breaking it, forcing the grown man to cry out in more pain.

Regulus again grabbed James' head by his hair and pushed him away from the table, forcing him to fall down onto the floor. His glasses were shattered, with its remains wedged deep into his bleeding cuts, which were luckily enough not in his eyes, while his nose looked like it had been pressed deep into his skull, bleeding profoundly. His knee and arm weren't moving at all and looked out of place, making the whole scene for everyone very shocking with Regulus knowing that it had gotten the message across the room.

"Anyone still doubting my capabilities?" He asked no one in particular. "Good, because like with your dear James here, I am not here to play games with you. And I won't be anyone's bitch, not Voldemort's, and not yours, Dumbledore. If you decide to dig your scrawny old hands into my children, I'll kill you. If because of your damn schemes and games they get hurt or somehow involved in this whole mess, I'll kill you. And if you, Lily, or any of your Potter idiots tries anything funny with them while I am teaching in Hogwarts this year, I'll personally eradicate House Potter and everyone with that last surname that has your blood in it. That goes for everyone here: hurt my family, and I will kill each and every one of you here, got that?"

"Oh you've done it now, Reggie!" Sirius, along with Remus, whipped out his wand and pointed at Regulus…

…Only to be plastered against the wall with his friend and fall off unconscious after a double _Stupefy_, while Regulus put away his wand. He turned his attention to Dumbledore, who was weighing his options. So far, Regulus has proven that he really wasn't someone to be messed with, and he wasn't even able to get inside his head like with the others, meaning that his Occlumency shields were on the same level as that of Voldemort. Not only that, but he had just defeated the Marauders without any trouble, literally breaking James in the process. And from the way he spoke and manner of his posture, it was clear that he _meant _every word he said. No, he was far too dangerous and powerful to be manipulated.

But his children weren't…

"Very well, Regulus, you've made your point. I promise you, that for as long as your children and you are here in Britain, you will not be an involuntary part of any of our plans." Dumbledore carefully spoke to him, with Regulus smirking at him, as if he won.

"Don't think that I don't know your game, Dumbledore. You and Voldemort are the same in your manners of ruling your little armies, and I know what you've just thought about." Regulus narrowed his eyes on him. "This is your only warning: stay the hell away from them, Dumbledore. Voluntary or not, we are not a part of your little war, period. And now, if all of you have gotten that message through your skulls, I'll be taking my leave. Feel free to have this place and don't worry, I won't tell anyone about it. It's not like Voldemort doesn't already know where all you meet. Right, Severus?" Regulus smirked at his former friend, before apparating out of the house.

**House Black's Mansion.**

Regulus reappeared the next second in the study of his grandfather Arcturus, alongside Cassiopeia and Rose, who already waiting for him.

"Did they get the message?" He simply asked of him, with Regulus nodding to him. "Good, it's long due that our enemies understood that crossing House of Black is a suicidal notion. Can we trust Severus to get the message to his another Master?"

"The scarface didn't even notice me using Legilimency on his mind while Dumbledore was announcing me as the next DADA Professor, not like I even needed to probe too far into his mind." Regulus told them. "Snape is good though, really good with Occulumency, but only when he expects the attack on his mind. But, no one's perfect, and Snape has more than enough flaws, with conflicting morals and loyalties being among them. Henry's analysis of his was on spot: he really does play for both sides, with Dumbledore not even realizing it. Old coot must be thinking that he has Severus on a short leash, but in reality..."

"The more there is division among our enemies, the better for us it will be in the future." Arcturus noted out, before turning their attention to the map behind him, showing the lands and the owners of the Magical Britain. "Now, our next order of business is to wait for Harry to call us to Le Fay's Castle. He should've reached it by now, even on foot."

"Still, I don't really understand why would Harry need to go there so soon? I mean, he may've fully recovered and is back to top shape, but still..." Rose said in a bit of a saddened tone.

"Don't worry, dear. We all know how you worry about your big stupid oaf of a brother." Cassie made Rose chuckle with that comment. "But this is something that needs to be done, especially if we intend to fight both the Death Eaters and the Order, and in the worst case scenario, the very Ministry itself. Back when House Le Fay had existed, they controlled most Wales, Western and Central England, and commanded the loyalty of all magical creatures and wizards that resided there. Those borders and lands are still there, and magic itself knows to whom those lands belong to. If Harry manages to reignite the magic of Le Fay lands from his castle, we will have ourselves a potentially massive army of magical creatures and races that reside there, not to mention many Wizarding families that will feel the magic of the land and it's effect on it."

"Yes, but only if the Castle's guardian recognizes him as Prince Le Fay." Arcturus said, getting everyone's attention.

"What's that supposed to mean, old man?" Regulus asked of him.

"Had it ever occured to any of you that throughout centuries, Le Fay Castle has _never_ been looted out and that any that ventured there for that purpose, were never seen again?" Arcturus asked of them, before producing a book before the, with the crest of House Black. "This is the journal of Perseus Black, our founder and one of the last students of Morgana Le Fay. Within it lies the answer to that very question." Regulus and Cassiopeia took the book and quickly looked through it, before their eyes widened at what they read in the chapter about Le Fay's Castle.

"Merlin's beard... I knew that Morgana was powerful, but to take a hold of _that_, and manage to make it submit... You realize, that if _it _doesn't recognize Henry as Prince Le Fay, he is dead, right?" Regulus asked of Arcturus, who simply nodded to him.

"Indeed I do, and so does Henry, but this is something he must face on his own." Arcturus simply explained to him. "Prince Le Fay can only claim that place on his own, no other way around it."

"What are you two talking about? Did Morgana leave someone to guard that place?" Rose asked of them, with Cassiopeia nodding to her.

"Yes, something _not _of this world." She showed her apprentice the book. "Morgana Le Fay had been an equal to merlin in every field, but in one magical area, she had surpassed even him."

"Demonology..." Rose read, before her own eyes had widened. "I-Isn't that the Dark Art of Magic th-that is used to..."

"Summon, banish, destroy and even subjugate the denizens of the Underworld, the only Dark Art of Magic that even Voldemort hadn't delved into." Regulus spoke up, taking a sip of whiskey that stood near. "This field of magic is so taboo and secret, that it makes the Unforgivable Curses look like child's play. Even Horcruxes are considered a lesser form of dark magic in most magical communities. A friend of mine from the American Department of Mysteries even told me once, that Demonology is one field of study they avoid exploring, and those are the same guys _doing _the study all magical arts that shouldn't be explored by others."

"Yes, Regulus, we get it, thank you." Cassiopeia said in an irritated voice, reading the book. "If only I could show it to Dorea in person... We were quite fascinated with Morgana in our youths, but to find out that she had _bound _one of the Higher Demons to the will of her house... Increadible."

* * *

**Whoops, sorry for the cliffhanger, but... I just couldn't help myself there. Hope you like this chapter folks, as I've had a ton of fun writing it this time, especially the parts about Bill and Regulus smacking James like a bitch. Anyway, I think I'll go out for this one on a short note, as I believe that this chap doesn't need much of an explaining. However, if you have any questions about it, suggestions for the future or just want to give me you opinion, feel free to give it to me in Reviews or in PM. Also, I've now started to moderate my Reviews, as I've _really _grown tired of some BS being written into the review section. Seriously, what the hell is that guy's problem?!**

**Sorry about that one. Oh, and if you have any suggestions about the romance for our main lead, let me know.**

**Next time: Le Fay Castle and Illvermony.**

**See ya!**


	7. Chapter 7

**North West England.**

Henry walked through the field, slowly growing into a small hill, on top of which he was currently moving. While most of the wizards and witches had preferred to simply apparate to the Castle, or use a broom, or any other alternative means to get there, other than walking, Henry actually rather enjoyed himself at the moment. Almost every wizard and witch, with a few exceptions, that Henry knew had detested the very notion of on foot walking through the countryside, which current Prince Le Fay found to be quite nice and endearing.

Fresh air, sun shining above, smell of fresh grass and far off fields of wild flowers, not to mention the air of sea coming from the west- after weeks of being cooped up in a mansion without much of an access out, and being a prisoner in Azkaban's bowels, Henry rather rejoiced from the change of scenery. He had always found countryside and walks around it nice and helpful, possibly having been taught of their value and beauty by the fact of how his and Rose's house always seemed ugly, cold, unwelcoming and horrible, though the exterior and interior were quite lovely.

Unfortunately, their parents had completely destroyed the positive points of their house for the two of them. Needless to say, both siblings had found the hills and valleys of Southern Wales far more appealing, amplified by the fact that no Potter had wanted to venture any more further than Quidditch's field outside of the mansion. Rose and Henry never found any appeal to that sport, which only further served to amplify James Potter's belief that his eldest and youngest children weren't even his own, as no true child of his would ever deny the greatness and pleasure of Quidditch. Henry and Rose had wished _many_ times, that it was the actual, but alas.

As Henry moved towards the top of the hill, or a ridge, his mind had wandered back to the events that had taken place right after his return from Gringotts. To say that his sister and Black relatives were shocked to find out that he was now Prince Le Fay, but also a vessel for Dorea's soul and Lord Slytherin, would be an understatement of the decade. Rose and Faye both were utterly shocked and couldn't completely comprehend what they had heard just then, but once they did, Rose simply stated that to her Henry was still her older brother and nothing was still changing that, not even his new looks and blood. Faye, still very new to her nephew, simply accepted it, but decided to maintain some distance between them, considering their relation and the first impressions.

Nymphadora was completely floored when she learned the news from Henry himself. For a moment there, it seemed like she had forgotten how to blink or even breath, until she rebooted back into her usual mode with a storm of questions and demands. Fortunately, Henry had been able to answer them all, even some of the stranger ones, like that one about their blood relation. After having her curiosity satisfied, Nymphadora had decided to leave, but not before making a comment about Henry now looking like, in her own words: "a smocking sexy Devil."

Cassiopeia wasn't as shocked by the status of her great nephew, as she was utterly shocked and flabbergasted to find out that Henry was once a Horcrux for Voldemort and that Dorea's soul was still locked in him. Henry knew that the two sisters had been the closest, out of all their siblings in Black family, and that Cassiopeia had still mourned on some level the passing of her sister. Being a researcher of Dark Arts, as well as many secret and even forbidden ones, like Necromancy and Alchemy, Cassiopeia had immediately jumped at Henry, examining him on every level she could, finding out that Goblins were correct. After that, she informed them that she was now working on some new project. Something that Henry suspected had to do with his grandmother's soul.

Arcturus and Regulus had taken the news with a grain of salt, but after examining everything, had both come to the same conclusion as Henry. This was very good news for them, excellent even, as now their positions could've been strengthened to the extremes, as House Le Fay was the Royal House. Unlike most Noble Houses, who had acres of land, House Le Fay was actually effectively in control of country-sized land, but also could command the loyalty of all that had resided upon it: wizards, witches, magical creatures and beings, and everything in between. Not even Ministry had the power to change that, as the very magic prevented that. And considering that House Le Fay controlled all of Northern England, northern and western Midlands and Northern half of Wales, Henry could call upon a great _many_ subjects, and could count on quite a number of Noble Houses to pledge their allegiance to him. That is, if he could demonstrate them that he really was worthy of name Le Fay.

And with that in mind, Henry had spent the last two and a half weeks, retraining his body and mind, along with learning new tricks, spells and ways to fight. He was very fortunate that Morgana had finalized the healing process on his body and magic, as it allowed Regulus to fully focus on teaching Henry what he knew. While in spells, curses and charms, Henry was roughly in the same league as Regulus, so they skipped that after accessing Henry's reaction and instincts as sufficient enough, he found himself utterly hating the latter, when he decided to teach him the ways of non-magical combat, namely hand-to-hand and gunfire. Turns out, Aurors in the US actively trained in those areas, furthering their expertise and giving them advantages in combat over wizards and witches. And Regulus had showed Henry the advantages of those, when he repeatedly had broken his arms and legs in the spars, as well as showing what guns could do to a body.

Initially, Henry had dismissed those things as unnecessary, but after the first session, having been humiliated and utterly defeated, Henry took to those two subjects like fish to the water. Thanks to am unregistered Time Turner of House Black, in two months' worth time, Henry had learned from Regulus the basics and several forms for Aikido, Krav Maga and Wing Chun, as well as many things about human anatomy and how to properly hold, shot and utilize guns, from simple pistols to sniper rifles. And when it came to the firearms, Henry found himself becoming quite the fan of those, almost to the same level as James Potter with Quidditch. He was even thinking about starting up a collection of those, as a hobby, plus to stockpile on ammunition and weaponry. Whoever had said that Muggles were like helpless babies before Wizards and Witches, clearly hasn't seen what a well-placed shot from FN FAL with a 7,62 caliber round could do to a person's head. And when Henry recalled those nuclear missiles... He was honestly _really _glad that the Cold War, as Regulus called the period after the WWII, never got hot.

After Regulus and Alastor had examined Henry thoroughly, they gave the green light for the newest Prince Le Fay to go to the Castle and claim the seat there. The decision had long been reached with the others on that matter, but only yesterday did Arcturus tell him why he wanted Henry as ready is he could be for this move. He informed him of the location of Le Fay Castle, which, though hidden, could be found, if one looked carefully enough. But along with the location, he also told him about Castle Le Fay's guardian, a Higher Demon, bound to House Le Fay by Morgana herself.

Though Henry was no expert of Demonology or even magical beings and creatures, he, along with the majority of Wizards and Witches, knew full well that denizens of the Underworld, a parallel dimension that exists in quite close proximity to their own dimension, were _extremely _powerful beings, capable of living for thousands of years. They were always considered to be a threat of the highest caliber, as Higher Demons, or Devils as more commonly known, especially those of the High position, were not only as intelligent as humans, but were far more cunning, ruthless, and had unmatched powers and control over magic. One Devil, even a weak one, could take on entire platoon of Aurors and come out unscathed, as they possessed a limited immunity to the human charms and even curses, and if the Devil was one with Rank, then it could considered to be a disaster.

There was a common classification of Demons on Low and High. Low Demons were creatures and beasts, much like those in common magical world, but far more volatile, dangerous and quite intelligent. Creatures like Imps, Scamps, Boggarts and even Dementors are considered to be Low Demons. High Demons, or Devils, were the magical beings, like Veelas and Nymphs, being considered arguably even more intelligent than men and far more dangerous.

Devils, according to Merlin, the lead Demonologist of mankind, had a ranking system, which determined the Devil's power, might and status within their society, starting with the lowest Baron, and ending with the Great King and Satan. Henry's Devil had the rank of Duke, the 4th highest rank among Devils, yet enough for Henry to consider it to be deadly and most dangerous, as there were evidences in history of Devil Dukes destroying near entire armies of wizards and witches without much trouble.

It was most fortunate for the humanity and wizard kind that Devils and Low Demons very rarely left their Underworld, as them being in this world for any elongated periods of time was impossible, due to the negative effects it could take on them. Unfortunately for Henry, his Devil seemed to be immune to any and all negative effects of the human world, as it was bound to this world. He knew that in direct combat with it, he was a goner, no doubt about, but he didn't need to fight it. If the Devil was really bound to the House Le Fay, then it should've felt that he had taken the role as the Head of the House Le Fay, and therefore, it would be bound to serve him.

In theory, it was all fairly simple and easy, but in practice… Henry really hopped that the theory would work in practice.

Finally reaching the top of the hill, Henry looked from the top of it forward, and had nearly widened his eyes at the sight before him. Over two miles away from him, settled at the edge of the cliff, stood a mighty citadel, surrounded from the west by sea and cliffs, and two rows of walls from the east. Outer and inner walls were separated into three sections, separated by large round coned towers, giving the impression of a halved hexagon. It was truly a mighty citadel, built to project power and might, as well as to withstand the siege, with towers on the two walls, visible intersection walls connecting the inner and outer battlements, three gates on eastern, southern and northern parts of the walls, elevation of the inner wall and castle itself.

The castle seemed similar to that of Hogwarts, but instead of simple stone, seemed like it was made of white stone marble, with five large coned towers made into a form pentagram around the structure, with the roof being made of the blue material. Overall, the Le Fay Castle looked almost as big as Hogwarts, without its ground, with a great deal of the territory used for the battlements. The citadel looked like it was freshly built, quite possibly kept that way by the magic of House Le Fay. After looking at the construction for quite a while, Henry made his way down the hill, and after an hour of walking, he reached the opened gates of the Citadel. He had clearly underestimated the size of the place, as he seemed almost dwarfed by it.

Stepping through the opened gates, he looked around himself, seeing that intersection between the walls was also segmented by walls with smaller gates that connected outer and inner walls. The place before him was completely desolate, but not even grass grew through the stoned floor. Stepping through the second gates, Henry admired the beauty and power of the Castle before him, and saw that it was actually surrounded by a third, smaller wall, connected to the five towers, and not connected to other walls. A true place for the final stand, as he saw it in his mind.

Stepping through the gates into a courtyard before the gates of the castle proper, he saw a woman standing right in the middle of courtyard. She was dressed in a black robe and dress underneath, which did nothing to hide her more than beautiful and voluptuous figure, with a witch's hat on top of her head and a forked wooden staff in her right hand. Her hair was scarlet red, very long and luscious, made into thick braids on the sides of her stunning beautiful face, whose dark golden eyes looked directly at him. However, while the beauty of the woman was more than enough to stop any man in the tracks, it wasn't what had stopped Henry.

Instead, it was the _immense _pressure from sheer might and power coming towards him from her. He had felt the power of Dumbledore before and had found it terrifying enough for himself, but this woman…

Her power made Dumbledore look like a Squib.

There was no doubt in Henry's mind: this was the Devil guarding the place.

"Another craven, who has decided to come and defile this place, seeking treasures and secrets of House Le Fay." She stated as a matter of a fact, with Henry gulping at the cold and near emotionless tone of voice. "Your kind doesn't seem to learn from their past mistakes. I should simply burn you alive, but I am in the merciful mood today, so I give you one minute to remove yourself from this place and never to return. Fail to comply, mortal, and I will gladly let you join your dead compatriots, once I am done with you."

"I am neither a craven nor a looter." Henry stated to her with a voice as firm and strong as he could muster, which didn't impress the redhead in the slightest. "And I am not here to take what is already mine, Devil. I am this Castle's master and Lord, for I am Henry Arthur Le Fay, Prince Le Fay, chosen and blessed by Queen Morgana Le Fay herself." For a second there, Henry could've swore that he saw an eye twitch on that Devil from what he had said.

However, before he could fully determine why it twitched, she tapped her staff onto the floor, and steel chains erupted right out of the ground, binding Henry by his arms and forcing him on to his knees. The chains held very tightly, moving his arms to the sides and outstretching them, nearly breaking them and pulling them apart from his body. The second he had tried to apparate from them, the chains suddenly burned his arms, as if they were made of magma. His screams could be heard through the miles away from here, while the crimson haired woman slowly walked to Henry. Once she was in front of his kneeling and half-conscious form, she returned the chains into the normal state, leaving Henry with both his arms burnt to the crisp and cloth on them utterly burned away. She looked at him with a curious eye, before speaking up.

"You may bear resemblance to the late Majesties, and your magic is connected to House Le Fay, but your mortal kind has your own ways of deception, much like I have my ways of revealing them." She put her hand onto his head, and Henry hissed as he felt her reading through his very mind and memories at an incredible speed. "Hm, someone is trying to deny me entry into your mind, someone surprisingly powerful. Tell her that she put a commendable, but Devils aren't as easily denied of what they want." And with that, she increased her efforts many times over, forcing Henry to scream in pain.

His head felt like it was melting, as thousands of memories flashed before his eyes, from his earliest ones to the latest. All of that came through his mind within mere seconds, as the Devil read through it all. After she was done, she pulled her hand away, blinking a couple of times as if processing it all herself, before her face had softened somewhat, as she looked at Henry again. The very next second, she dispelled the chains, and put her free hand onto his shoulder, sending healing magic into his body, returning Henry's limbs back into their top conditions. She was done in almost no time, before she removed her hand and allowed the rejuvenated Prince Le Fay rise from his knees. Once he did so, she gave him a small bow, before speaking up.

"My apologies, Your Highness." Her voice was now a respectable one. "I was under the impression that another false claimant has arrived here, as had happened several times before in the past. I am certain you can understand the hostility, milord."

"Naturally." Henry agreed, fixing his coat's arms with his wand, before looking at the woman. "Although, this quite the turn of an attitude. Are you really that ready to serve the new Prince Le Fay, considering that you've just met him?"

"An interesting question, milord, but you have nothing to worry about, Your Highness." She gave him a small smile. "My loyalty to House Le Fay is my life, in quite literal sense, and even if I were to dislike my Master, I wouldn't be able to betray him or her in any way or capacity, direct or indirect. Your new mother had made quite a thorough job of making sure that I only turn my ire and powers against the enemies of your choosing. And aside from that, I have read your entire life, and I must say that out of most humans, you are at least worthy of _some _respect from me."

"You make it sound like I am still beneath you." Henry stated to her, with Devil chuckling to that one. "Shouldn't you be flattering, obedient and soft-spoken, like all servants are?"

"If you would prefer me as weak-willed, completely obedient and ready to service you with my body at any moment in time, then I am glad to disappoint you, milord." She said with a bit of amusement in her voice. "I am quite a different kind of servant, Prince Le Fay. If you want yourself what I described, then feel free to summon a Succubus, as they would most surely satisfy you in those parameters and more. I, unlike those low sows and skanks, pride myself as more than just a pleasure tool. In me, you will find your most loyal confidant, wisest advisor, most knowledgeable and intelligent scholar and most vicious warrior. And if you desire for a friend or even a lover in me… Well, you have ways to go before I let you in my bed." She chuckled to him, with Henry shaking his head at that one.

"I'm not looking for a bed warmer or even a wife right now, but what you already offer sounds just about what I was looking for." Henry said to her, with her looking curiously at him.

"That is actually a shame, milord. I would recommend you find yourself someone to share your bed, if at least to get familiar with the process of copulation." She said in a fairly serious tone of voice, with Henry looking surprised at that one. "Why look so surprised, milord? You are the Prince Le Fay, Lord Slytherin, Potter and Peverell, and your foremost duty is the insurance of those Houses' safe and prosperous continuation. And that is achieved through only one way, unless, of course, you decide to achieve immortality or create heirs through alternative means, though I'd highly recommend you stick with the prime way."

"Are you supposed to be my advisor, or my mother? Because I get the feeling that you are trying to the be the latter, and I have a pretty bad experience with that one." Henry said to her, with Devil looking not one bit admonished. "Also, before I forgot to ask, what is your name? I assume that you have a name, even though you are…"

"Obviously I do, since that's the easiest way to differentiate one another. You humans aren't the only ones to come up with this." She said in a lightly sarcastic tone. "My demonic name is Belserion, but my given name is Irene. You may refer to me as Irene Belserion, if you want my full name, but Irene will suffice."

"A given name? Is it some part of your bounding contract, which binds you to House Le Fay, similar to House Elves and clothes?" Henry asked of her, with now named Irene nodding to him.

"Nice to see that you catch on quickly, milord. Keep up the intelligent attitude, and you may just impress me." She said to him in a light manner, before explaining to him. "You are correct, Your Highness. My birth name is Belserion, but after Queen Morgana had defeated me in battle and put me on the verge of death, she offered me to serve House Le Fay. A part of the binding contract is for the Master or Mistress to give a name, which will become the part of the Devil from that part. And as much as I find it insulting that you compare me to House Elves, your assessment is quite on the spot."

"Well, compared to them, you do look far more beautiful and intelligent in my eyes." Henry offered her the compliment, with Irene chuckling a little at this one. "Plus the fact that you nearly turned me into a smoldering heat of ashes also adds up to your overall appeal in my eyes. Always like a woman that knows how to defend herself."

"Mm, a man after my heart, aren't you, milord. Like I said, you still have ways to go, but you may be on the right track." She said to him in a bit of a sultry way. "A word of advice for the future: never tell a bound Devil that she is like a House Elf, or she may find that demeaning of her. Males can be told, as being bound breaks their characters in most cases, but women… We comply, but never break, do remember that."

"I will." Henry nodded to Irene, with her offering him to go inside. "Now, since all the confusion is put behind us, I assume that I have something important to do."

"Aside for siring a few Heirs, it would be prudent that you fully reactivate the magic of House Le Fay and its lands." Irene told him, with Henry giving her a bit of an eye. "Don't look so scandalized, milord. Part of my service includes insuring the survival of House Le Fay, and right now, that survival requires you putting your charisma, man's charm and capabilities of your loins to good use."

"If that is the case, and if I were to fail in finding me a suitable partner for that job, would you take up that duty to the needed level?" Henry asked of her in amused and somewhat flirting manner. "Because from practical views, you, Irene, seem to be the best choice: stunningly beautiful, intelligent, loyal to the fault, immensely powerful. Devils do can mate with humans, no? And if so, wouldn't it make the most logical choice for you to do the duty, so to speak?" He had a bit a sly smirk on his lips, expecting an answer from Irene, who had only an amused smile herself.

"You are quite correct in this regard, milord. And yes, I am most perfectly capable of bearing you children, if you are wondering." Irene didn't hesitate with that answer. "But, as much as I may wish to ensure that strength of House Le Fay is increased through my blood, it would be a poor choice, given that you would do well to forge political alliances with other Houses. And marriages are among the best tools for that, milord, so as much as I may appeal to you, you'd be most wise to find a strong witch from a powerful family and do your duty. But, if you manage to impress me enough though, I may find myself interested in being your mistress, if your wives allow it."

"W-wives?" Henry asked of her, with Irene looking with an amused look at him. "A-as in plural, not singular? Care to explain?"

"Oh dear, I did forget to mention it, didn't I?" Irene made a fake troubled face, clearly enjoying herself. "Considering that you are the Head of several Houses, by magical law, you are entitled to several wives, each of which will be a Lady of one House and bear Heirs and Heiresses to that particular House. While House Gaunt can be integrated into the House Slytherin, seeing as it was the side branch of the latter, you are still left with four Houses to populate, milord, so you are entitled to four wives, and I would advise you to exercise this particular right instead of limiting yourself to one particular lady."

"Do I even want to know _why_ I should heed your advice, Irene?" Henry asked of her.

"If you are unable to reach the conclusions about it on your own, milord, then feel free to ask at any moment." She said to him, as they walked through the gates of castle and into the great hall.

The great hall looked very similar to that of Hogwarts, safe for the predominantly white, blue and golden colors, as well as the banners of House Le Fay hung all around. There were two large tables with seats for several hundred people, as well as an elevated part with a white marble throne, with a dragon folding his wings above the seat. There were doors leading to other parts of the castle, but for now, Henry and Irene were focusing on the throne, to which they came. As they stood near it, Irene spoke up.

"As Prince Le Fay, only you hold the right to sit on this throne, as this is the center of Le Fay Land's magic." Irene spoke up, with Henry listening. "You must take your seat, and proclaim from it through magic, that House Le Fay lives once more and that there is Prince Le Fay at last. This will reactivate the magic of your House in your controlled lands to their fullest, letting Wizards, Witches, Creatures, Beings and other Races to know, that the land they occupy once more has its Master."

"And what will happen after that?" Henry asked of her.

"Races of magic will be the first to react, and will come here in less than three days' time to witness you and access you, milord." Irene spoke. "Elementals, Night and High Elves, Vampires, Werewolves and Centaurs, even the communities of Veelas and Jotanns, that have sprung up in the period of House Le Fay's absence, all will come here to either reaffirm, or pledge, their oaths of loyalty, or, as I believe first will happen, to see if you can truly live up to your title before doing what they see as the right thing, milord. I can assure you, that you _will _need to prove to them that you can govern them wisely and protect them from harm and enemies. They all have been oppressed, humiliated and disgraced for centuries by the Ministry of Magic, and while you may be above it when governing them, they won't stand a Prince that doesn't care for them. Find a way to show them that you intend to care for them wisely and demonstrate your power to both protect your subjects and destroy your opponents, and they will follow you."

"Become the man that does things, and not speaks of them, and they will be on my side." Irene agreed with that summarization with a nod. "And what of the Wizarding kind on my land and Ministry?"

"Their reaction will come later to you, but I suspect that Ministry will try to reach out to you as fast as possible. Albus Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge will both try get you on their side and also to limit your influence and power as much as they can, by laws, corruption and other methods. As a Prince and Head of Royal House, you have certain special privileges and rights, affording you a measure of autonomy and independence in governance and actions from Ministry." She informed him. "This is what makes you a danger for them, milord: your level of independence, and the fact that once you are in power, the Ministry will lose any and all grip on magical races and creatures on your lands, as they will serve you. And if the Wizards and Witches, both of magical and non-magical descent, decide to pledge their allegiance to you, they will effectively leave the Ministry's control and become your vassals instead, same with Noble Houses. In essence, you will still be a subject to Ministry, but you will still have independence in actions and policies in your lands. You could compare it to the relations between United Kingdom and its Dominions, like Canada, during the war with Grindelwald."

"No offence, but where did you acquire all this knowledge?" He asked of Irene, who looked amusingly at him.

"Milord, I was to simply stand in the courtyard like a statue for another idiot of a wizard to come and robe this Castle, I would've gone made in a matter of days." She simply replied to him. "Naturally, I have outfitted this place with warning charms and spells to inform me about intruders, in case I was away from here. And seeing how House Le Fay has been extinct with now true claimants to come for centuries, I've used my free time to see this world and learn of it, not to mention to simply relief my boredom with the occasional endeavor or two of certain kind." She gave him a sultry smile, with Henry looking amused.

"Care to elaborate on your conquests, Irene?" He folded his arms on his chest, waiting for an answer. "One would think that you would be… chaste in your duties and life?"

"Chastity is a sin for a Devil, milord. Do please stop making such poor jokes with me around. It does you no honor to make yourself a fool in front of others and me." Irene told him in a bit of amused tone. "I am both a Devil _and _a woman, and hundreds of years of waiting around and doing nothing can leave one with my combination thoroughly famished for pleasures of flesh. In my case, a night of sex with no obligations is like a holiday for a hardworking man- a necessity to relief me of stress. And if it bothers you, I assure you, that there are no attachments involved whatsoever: I merely enjoy myself, with my partners forgetting all about me next thing in the morning, while I leave satisfied and refreshed. But, if you see this as a way to get me in your bed, milord, let me warn you, that I am quite picky with my partners, be they men and women. Especially if it's a prolonged arrangement and attachments involved."

"I'll keep that in mind…" Henry said to her in an equally amused tone, to which Irene simply chuckled. "Well, seeing as we've covered everything let's get this done, since my sister must be worried sick by now about me." Henry said to Irene, taking a seat upon the throne of Le Fay.

"I believe you know the words, milord?" She asked of him, with Henry nodding to him.

"To Magic I call, to powers that are in this land I command, to ancestors of my blood I invoke: the Exalted and Royal House Le Fay lives in flesh and blood once more. Friends- rejoice, enemies- beware, all others- know, for we walk upon the lands of our forefathers and foremothers once again. With the right of magic and blood, with the blessing of Morgana, the Mother of Le Fay, I, Henry Arthur Le Fay, call upon the ancient and dormant powers of my lands to reawaken. Long was your slumber, and now it's over, as is over the era of waiting for those loyal to my blood and name. In the name of Magic and Morgana, we LIVE!" And as Henry had said those words, the dormant and ancient magic of Le Fay reawakened to this world once more.

The citadel shook, as it unleashed the pulse of raw magic into the world, signaling all that House Le Fay was once more. And soon enough, all of Wizarding World knew of it…

* * *

**Wiltshire. Malfoy Manor.**

Lord Voldemort was seated at the head of the table in his servant's house, planning his moves and biding his time. His fiasco at killing William Potter on the day of his resurrection was still fresh in his mind, and while it may've been something of a humiliation in his mind, it was also a good way to cool his temper and resort to his Slytherin side. He knew that now the boy was secured by the Order of Phoenix, making him near untouchable with his current resources, meaning that he would need to strengthen his ranks before he would wage war on Ministry and Dumbledore once again.

That would require of him to use diplomacy, to reaffirm the previous loyalties, as well as fear, to coarse some into his ranks. He would also need to release his most loyal and powerful followers from Azkaban, and he would certainly do so. His only regret was the fact that Henry Potter was no longer among the living, as he would've been delighted to have such a promising and powerful wizard among his Death Eaters. As much as he may've hated to admit his defeats, he always did acknowledge a skillful and powerful Wizard when he met one.

And Henry Potter was certainly one of the most powerful Wizards of this generation, a true inheritor of might of Charlus and Dorea Potter. The fact of him discovering him and his servant Quirrell, along with their plans before Christmas, as well as killing his servant in such an easy manner had made quite an impression on Voldemort. Add to that what Lucius had told him about his loss of his diary, something for which Malfoy will pay dearly once his usefulness expired, only reinforced Voldemort's belief in eldest Potter's abilities and potential. The boy could've easily surpassed him and Dumbledore in power and magical prowess, and was already able to _defeat _his younger self, from what he had learnt from Severus.

Such potential, such power… With such qualities, it was no wonder that Voldemort had considered him to be his main threat from the prophecy and tried to kill. If only Dorea Potter hadn't overpowered him with her Expecto Patronus, the threat to him would've been removed back then. But, even though he had failed back then, he should be thankful to Dumbledore and the boy's idiots of the parents for sending him to Azkaban. If only those fools had loved and cared for him, they could've had the most powerful Wizard since Grindelwald on the side of Light. But, as Voldemort knew all too well, to Dumbledore it was unacceptable, to be more powerful than him. In his mind, only he was entitled to being the most powerful Wizard on the face of the planet, and anyone who could challenge him, were to be eliminated as the followers of dark.

He did the very thing with Harry Potter, when he could've molded him, instead of that brat William, into a perfect weapon. Dark Lord was still puzzled with why Dumbledore had believed William to be his bane, instead of already proven efficient Harry. While the Boy-Who-Lived certainly held enough power and skills to be considered above average, compared to his brother, he was like a mortal against a demigod. Normally, Voldemort would've considered this attention of Dumbledore to William Potter as a ploy to focus Dark Lord's attention on the wrong Potter, while Harry would have more breathing space to develop and grow stronger. But this plan was scrapped the very moment he learnt of Henry's death, which was confirmed by Andromeda Tonks, an avid opposing Witch to both him and Dumbledore.

Voldemort never liked it when his predictions were wrong, and now he was contemplating, what made William Potter, in the eyes of Dumbledore and everyone else, so special and the only to be able to kill him. Because if he found out the reason for that, he could use it, exploit to his benefit, and find a way circumvent it.

And as he was contemplating his plans, Voldemort, along with the rest of his Death Eaters seated at the table, whom he ignored so far, sensed by their very being _something_. It took him less than a second to realize that it was an echo of an extremely powerful magical surge. Voldemort could see that his servants had shaken at the feeling of it, with some even having their arms trembling. Hell, even his own left hand tingled from that feeling, the feeling of a magical energy being released…

"Milord, did you feel that?" Lucius asked the Dark Lord, breaking his thought process.

"I did, Lucius, I certainly did." Voldemort nearly hissed at him for interrupting his thought process. "It would seem, that an extremely powerful magic was released from its slumber. It was an echo of a roar… The roar of a very ancient and very powerful magic, awakening in England."

"Could it be that Dumbledore and his cronies have found some kind of weapon against us?" Asked Adrian Nott, with some of the other Death Eaters murmuring about it amongst themselves.

"No, Adrian, I doubt it." Voldemort mused to himself. "But, it is worth checking out. Severus will soon report to us about the today's meeting of the Order and we will have the answer. At the same time… Lucius."

"Y-yes, my Lord?" Lucius nearly jumped when his Lord addressed him again, with Draco and Narcissa stiffening near him.

"If you wish to earn my forgiveness for you blunder, you will do as I say, understood?" Voldemort saw his former second-in-command nodding his head. "Good. You will go to the Ministry and find out everything about this from them. Such a powerful surge would not escape the Department of Mystery and Minister himself, so use your dear old friend Cornelius and learn of what Ministry know."

"I will do so. You have my word, my Lord." Lucius bowed his head.

"Yes you will. And in the meantime, Narcissa?" He turned his attention to another squirming blond, who listened to him with a stilled breath. "You are a witch of Black Family descent. It would be beneficial to rekindle your relations with Arcturus Black. As much as he may disagree and even despise us, he could still be beneficial to us. You and young Draco are to meet with him, impress him and charm him, make him trust you. Through that, we may learn far more about Dumbledore, his pawns, as well as find out about this surge. But, be very careful not to drive him away, or the consequences for the mistake will be severe."

"W-We will, my Lord." Narcissa bowed her head to him.

"My Lord, is it wise to trust Severus?" Evan Rosier asked of his Lord, drawing the attention towards himself. "I merely wish to point out, that he has been working for Dumbledore since our last war, feeding us false information among the truthful one. He was the one who misinformed you about who was with Potter children back then, something that even Pettigrew didn't know about. And that's not to mention his involvement in death of my sister Isabel and her children at the orders of Dumbledore…"

"Evan, I understand that you have your reservations about Severus, and I agree with some of them." Voldemort spoke up, interrupting his servant. "Death of your sister and her children is truly a tragedy, even if she was Michael Potter's wife. A tragedy, for which Severus has paid in full to me, as he has disobeyed my own orders. And as for trusting him… There are always more ways than one through which I may learn from my spies. Ways, of which Severus has no knowledge about, so rest assured that I _always _get _truth _out of him. Now, you all have you orders. Leave." With that said, Voldemort was left alone to his own musings and thoughts.

The balance of magic and power has certainly shifted in England, but it was unclear, to which side. Could it be that Dumbledore has gained a new friend in some way, or did Magic bless him with an ally to finally stomp his enemies. Or, something that he wished was not true, was this something disastrous for _both _of them: a new enemy, one powerful enough to end them both. Voldemort knew that his power was immense and great, but there was one truth that he could never deny himself. Something that Grindewald's defeat had taught him:

No matter how strong and powerful you may be, there will always come someone even stronger.

* * *

**London. Ministry of Magic. Minister's Cabinet.**

Amelia Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was restraining herself from rolling her eyes and cursing the two idiots before herself. Usually, she would've done so without any trouble, but the fact that the idiots in question before her were the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, put a stop to her desires, again. Oh how she wished she could've put those through all circles of Hell for their corruption, utter incompetency and allowing the Ministry to becoming riddled with corruption and utter fools, like body with tumors. But, unfortunately for her, she couldn't do so.

Yet, at least, despite two very thick files for each of them she has been putting together about their crimes and transgressions. She had to wait, wait until she could get a good chance, a suitable pretense to remove them from power, and she hoped that her scheme with Henry Potter would provide her with one. Even though it had been some time since she had let him out of Azkaban and he was yet to provide results, she had hope and faith in him being able to deal with Horcruxes, Voldemort and Dumbledore. The fact that House Black and Regulus Black himself were helping him strengthened her faith in their success.

She had known about Regulus Black for over six years now, ever since she and her American counterpart had organized an operation on liquidation of dark coven. British contingent was led by Kingsley and herself personally, while American Aurors were commanded by her counterpart, Jeffery Longstreet, and Regulus Black himself. Even though she and Kingsley had their reservations about Regulus Black, the fact that Jeff Longstreet, one of the most respected by ICW Aurors, trusted Regulus with his life, assured her enough to work together. The operation was a complete success, with Regulus having even saved her life in the thick of the fighting from a stray curse. After that, she stayed in contact with Regulus on a certain basis, so when Voldemort returned, she decided to enlist his help in her scheme, after learning about him and his family being transferred to England against their will. He had agreed, even getting eager after Arcturus Black agreed with her too.

As much as she had wished to directly support them, she had to reserve herself with passing them information and getting her own department ready for the upcoming scuffle.

"Now, Amelia, I believe there is a certain matter that needs to be discussed." Cornelius spoke up to her, with Dolores listening with her sickening smile. "My Undersecretary here has informed me, that there has been some… unusual activity in your Department. Troubling activity, even."

"What kind of trouble do you refer to, Minister?" Amelia asked of him without any emotions, with Dolores answering for Minister.

"You have been conducting illegal investigations into the personal lives and matters of Ministry's workers, most prominently into those of your own Department." Dolores said in a sickeningly sweet voice, smiling like a toad before catching her dinner. "The number of arrests has already reached the number of 17, if I am not mistaken. Now, Ms. Bones, would care to explain your reasoning and actions, as well as your failure of informing the office of the Minister about your activity?" Bones simply blinked at her, before turning to Cornelius and speaking in a neutral tone.

"Minister, is there something you would like to ask me, sir?" She asked, silently reveling in the outrage that Undersecretary was feeling. "Because if this is all, I would like to return to my duties."

"Um, yes, I would like to know what Ms. Umbridge just asked of you, Amelia." He composed himself somewhat, with Amelia nodding to him.

"Very well, sir." She maintained her composure. "Am I correct to understand that everything said here will not leave this room?"

"Oh, absolutely. Only the three of us here will know, I assure you." Cornelius told her, with Amelia nodding to him again.

"Thank you, sir. As Ms. Undersecretary has pointed out earlier, I have begun investigations and checking of workers of Ministry, or more specifically, my own Department, without the knowledge of you and your office, sir." Amelia admitted, with Dolores beginning to feel elation from being right. "My reasoning for my actions and not informing you was my belief that there were elements in Ministry that could hamper, or even jeopardize, proper functions of our current government, due to their associations with the elements that opposed current government and society."

"What elements do you mean, Amelia?" Cornelius asked of her. "Surely, you don't believe in Dumbledore's nonsense about You-Know-Who being back and all that, right?"

"Sir, with all due respect, my Department and I personally operate with facts and evidences, not with rumors and nonsensical tales." Amelia retorted, with Cornelius nodding to her. "There were no evidences or any other signs of Voldemort being back, and as such, no reason for me and my Department to begin investigation on this case. However, after a long review of the previous actions of Aurors and Hit Wizards, I have discovered a very long streak of irregularities, so called mistakes and more: known criminals allowed to go free, ignored orders of detention, sudden "gifts" for their service, etc. This, along with the alarming number of compromised personnel, has forced me to take immediate actions."

"Yes, yes, that does sound like nothing good for us, but surely you could've informed me about this sudden inspection, right?" Cornelius asked of him.

"Or perhaps, you are secretly dismantling the Ministry of its loyal defenders, in favor of possibly promoting your own interest, hm?" Dolores asked of her, giving her signature smile, with Amelia not even batting an eye again, before she produced a thick file and handed it to the Minister.

"This is just part of my investigation, sir, and as you can see for yourself, people listed in this file have close contact with other branches of the Ministry. And at least four of the suspects are known acquaintances of the highest members of your Ministry, sir. One such member is your Undersecretary here, sir." Amelia informed them, with Dolores looking scandalized. "Should the information about the inspection been leaked to anyone, suspects could've covered their tracks, redirected their blames agaisnt others, like you personally, sir, and caused havoc to our government. The decision to not inform anyone about my investigations and inspection was made from the intentions of safety and security, sir."

"Ah, yes, I can see that." Cornelius flipped through the pages, looking curiously at the arrested, before closing the file. "And, if I may ask, what did the investigations have revealed so far? Anyone… Cooperating with those elements? Like with, perhaps, Dumbledore?" Amelia again nearly rolled her eyes at how obsessed the man was with Dumbledore.

"Currently, it was established that half of the arrested Aurors and Hit Wizards have been taking regular bribes from known criminal bosses and smugglers in Knockturn Alley. They, along with the rest, have also been found in abuse of their power, extortion of protection money and other crimes." Amelia informed Cornelius, who nodded to her eagerly. "And as for the connections to Dumbledore, there are three well known Aurors whom I am confident have been feeding some sort of information about Ministry: James Potter, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin."

"They should be arrested immediately and tried for treason, with the werewolf being exterminated on the spot." Dolores spat out without any thinking, with Amelia turning her attention to her. "It is your fault that he has been allowed to work in the Ministry, is it not?"

"Ms. Undersecretary, Auror Lupin has been admitted into my Department by the late Crouch Senior, my predecessor, with _current _government's permission might I add." Amelia reminded Dolores, shutting her. "As for their arrests, these three have a great number of supporters in the society, seen as heroes of war with Voldemort. To arrest them, I need to show very solid evidences of their crimes against the Ministry. Until then, I have taken precautions, making sure to limit their access to sensitive information and have been closely monitoring their activities. Should they make a mistake, I will exploit it to the fullest, sir. Until then, it would be most beneficial if I were to continue my investigations uninterrupted. I will keep you updated and informed of the progressed, if you wish."

"Oh, certainly, Amelia. And yes, you have the green light to continue your…" In that very moment, everyone in the room felt what the rest of the Wizarding Britain had felt. "Wh-what was that? W-was that some kind of spell? Was this Dumbledore's doing?! Amelia, what are you not telling me?!" Cornelius was practically having a panic attack.

"Minister, I swear upon my magic that I am as confused as you are about what was that, and that I have no idea what caused it." Magic illuminated from Amelia, confirming that she was telling the truth. "From what I understand, it was a magical echo, caused by the surge of a released magical energy. I am no Unspeakable, but from the feeling of it, I can theorize that whatever this was, it was something tremendously powerful, sir. I will dispatch the Aurors to investigate immediately."

"Yes, investigate it, immediately!" Cornelius ordered her, when the door into his office bursted in and an Unspeakable barged in. "What is the meaning of this?! How dare you to barge in unannounced?!"

"My apologies, Minister, Ms. Undersecretary, Ms. Head of the DMLE." The Unspeakable spoke. "Head of the Department of Mysteries Croaker has asks of you to come to the Room of Magical Geography and Ancient Houses at once. It is concerning the magical surge that had just been detected."

"Well, let's head out and find out what was that." Cornelius, along with others, immediately apparated to the needed place.

Once there, Amelia immediately saw that quite a number of the Unspeakables were present and that they were all looking at the map of Magical Britain. This special map was created to show the territories of the Ancient Houses of Britain, areas where their magic was the dominant ones. Showed in the lines with glowing colors, like with usual maps, it was easy to settle any possible disputes with Houses, concerning the lands. And right now, Amelia's eyes widened as she saw an area, encompassing all of Northern England, Northern and Western British Midlands and all of Northern Wales, along with a dozen islands in the Irish Sea. That area was being surrounded by the light blue glowing line, encompassing many Ancient Houses and known enclaves of magical beings and creatures. And where the North West England was, there now glowed a bright sigil of a white dragon on the blue shield, sigil of a Noble House.

"Wh-whose sigil is that?! What damned House is that?!" Cornelius demanded to know. "Was it their fault that this surge had come and gone?!"

"Yes, sir, it was." Croaker stepped forward and spoke, looking at the map himself. "The surge came from Albion's Hearth, an ancient and supposedly cursed Castle in the North West England. The castle has been abandoned for near 900 years, with its magic being put into a slumber. However, that magic has been reawakened, and it has once again filled the territories of that House, informing all inhabitants there, that the Lord of their land has returned."

"But… There is no House with sheer might like that, none that had ever existed." Dolores exclaimed. "Th-this must be a ploy by someone to fool the Ministry."

"I assure you, this is no ploy, and there _was_ one House with such kind of power _and _authority." Croaker answered her. "The only Exalted and Royal House in England that had commanded this land and forces upon it."

"That sigil… Isn't that the same sigil as House's…" Amelia looked at it.

"Yes, this is the white dragon Albion, symbol of the Exalted and Royal House Le Fay." Croaker saw how everyone's faces turned to look at him in shock. "The House that had been believed and thought to have been destroyed by combined forces of Ten Ancient Founding Houses of Britain has returned, with the new Prince Le Fay taking the White Throne of Albion for his own."

"P-Prince Le Fay? Wh-what does this for me, f-for the Ministry?" Cornelius asked anybody.

'It means that you've just lost near over a quarter of the bloody country to the Heir of Morgana Fucking Le Fay, that's what, you idiot. And if my gut is telling me right, I have a feeling that Potter is involved in this. Time to get in contact with him.' Amelia thought to herself, already drawing up plans in her head.

Her job has just become _much _more interesting…

* * *

**Albion's Hearth. Throne Room.**

The surge of magic travelled through all of United Kingdom, announcing to all the return of House Le Fay. Henry opened his eyes after sensing out the magic of his House, to be greeted with the bowing Irene, as she spoke to him.

"Albion's Hearth welcomes and greets you, Prince Henry of House Le Fay, Heir of Queen Morgana, Ruler and Lord Protector of Northern Britannia and all its races." She officially greeted him, before raising her head back. "What is your bidding, Prince Le Fay?"

Henry smiled a little when he heard those words. All was going just as he hopped it was: all according to the plan.

* * *

**I did actually plan to make this chapter with Illvermony, but then I thought I could save it up for later, and instead focus up on more important people: Voldemort and Fudge with Umbridge. I think the change is for the better, and I hope that the chapter is also to your liking. Now onto the explaining part.**

**1\. Irene Belserion. Highly doubt that anyone had expected me to use Fairy Tail's Queen of Dragons and mother of Titania Erza Scarlet as the Higher Demon, or better yet, Devil, for this story. Well, I decided to do this out several reasons, first because I like her character design in general, second, because I find her interesting, and thirdly… Well, I simply picked her, with a bit of change, because I wanted to use her, and since I can, I did. Now, I know that in Fairy Tail she is a Dragon, not a Devil, but I decided to make her one, as Dragons in HP have been pretty much established as pretty different from ones in FT. **

**As for her powers… Well, let's just say that if you were to put her up against Dumbledore and Grindelwald together, the result would be a one sided victory in favor of Irene. She is currently **_**the **_**strongest person in my story in terms of powers and abilities. As for her character, hope you like her in such incarnation, as she is powerful, wise, loyal, but is not afraid of making fun of her Master and others, as well as reminding others of her status and powers. Oh, and yeah, she is **_**definitely**_ **considered for the romance, as are three other candidates. **

**Yeah, yeah, I am going there, so please don't go ahead and hate me about it all. This is Fanfiction, place where one can write what he wants about what he likes, right? And this is what I like to write.**

**2\. The training of Henry. Seeing as I've shown that Regulus had expertise in hand-to-hand in the last chapter, I've thought that it would be dumb if he didn't teach what he knew to Henry. Now, in terms of his magical prowess as he is now, he and Regulus are relative equals, with Henry having more raw magical power, while Regulus has more experience under his belt. And they are both in the same current league as Bellatrix Lestrange, Alastor Moody, Antonin Dolohov and Severus Snape.**

**3\. The need to prove to others your might and power. Let me ask you this, if you were a vassal under a weak ruler, who couldn't do shit, would you rather stay loyal, or dethrone him? Same as with Prince Le Fay here, as while those beings may honor their pledge and oaths, it needs to be reaffirmed first, as House Le Fay had been gone for so long. Bear in mind, the Ministry has been opressing them _for centuries_ and while they may be relieved that there is now a new boss on the block, they will be skeptical about him and his abilities. Henry needs to prove to them that he can _and will_ protect them. And I already have in mind the good and solid problem that needs to be solved for these communities, and no, it isn't Ministry. It's a bit more... "legged", so to speak, if you catch my meaning.**

**4\. The vassalage for Wizards and Noble Houses. Now, this one is pretty similar to our own real-life Noble and Royal Houses. If a Noble House pledges it's loaylty to House Le Fay and it's ruler, the House, for an example, House Longbottom, can count on their sovereign's support in matters of security and safety, as well as to take care of their Heirs and Heiresses as well, along with being assured that magic of the land also strengthens their House. In exchange, Longbottoms pledge their support in matters of conflicts and politics, as well as follow their sovereign's policies, as well as provide some special services to the sovereign.**

**Now, I think for now that's enough of explanations, hopefully, but if you have a question, opinion, suggestion, or in some cases, critical message about me and my writing style, feel free to leave in the reviews or in PM. Just do avoid my nationality, okay. Really hate it when people judge on others based on that, just feels… utterly wrong in my mind. Ah, who am I kidding, there is **_**always someone **_**who hates others based just on their nation… Sorry, got a bit overboard there.**

**Anyway, next chapter is about Prince Le Fay and meeting of his newest subjects, and new trouble for Rose Potter.**

**See ya all soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Albion's Hearth. Several hours after the reactivation of Le Fay magic.**

In the past Henry had spent a great amount of time in the libraries, be that in the Fleamont's mansion, where James and Lily had raised William, along with him and Rose, or in Hogwarts, where he could stay away from the unjust prejudice because of where he was sorted. His grandmother had taught him how to read, and had taught him to love books, as they were not just a source of knowledge and information, but also: "gateways to new worlds and adventures."

Those were her words when on his fourth birthday, she gifted him a complete book trilogy of J.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings", fantasy story that had become Henry's favorite. He had read to Rose when she was just two and they had been left to their own devices by Potters. He still wished that William hadn't found those books during the summer between his first and second years and used them as a target practice for _Confringo _charm, destroying them in front of Henry and Rose.

The resulting beating that Henry gave to William had cost him three weeks of being locked up in the cellar, with one meal for an entire day, no voice due to a curse that his mother put him under, so that he couldn't call any of the House Elves. Not that they ever listened to him or Rose, given their somewhat of a 'rotten' nature, reflective of their masters. But the image of that pompous idiot brat's broken face and sullied pants still brings the smile on his face, just as it did right now.

Henry flipped the page of the Two Towers, before observing the vast and near endless rows of high bookshelves, filled with books, scrolls, scriptures and manuscripts from nearly every era in human history. If he had thought Hogwarts' library to be massive, then Le Fay's library was near colossal in size and in amount of knowledge it held and gathered over the time. According to Irene, one of her duties that Morgana had employed her for in here was the protection and expansion of the knowledge and magical information held in this library, a job that Irene has been doing without stop.

Henry had suspected that the place was magically enlarged to fit the constantly expanded library, which held _every_ type of literature and knowledge one could ask for in many examples. From old and ancient papyrus' written manuscripts of Imhotep to the modern literature books, all that and more could be found here, if one wanted to, as Henry had found out.

And the library itself, much like the rest of the citadel and its grounds were in pristine shape, without any sign of degradation, deterioration and more. All of that was achieved not just by a 70 House Elves that Albion's Hearth supported on its own, but also thanks to Morgana's own magic still active after over 900 years, that kept the Elves and Albion's Hearth in a similar to frozen in time state, until the new Prince Le Fay could appear and claim the title and rights. And now that Henry was that Prince, the castle and it's magic once again lived, awakened from its slumber.

After the ritual was completed, Henry had contacted his family, granting them passage onto the castle's grounds. Arcturus and Regulus were glad and pleased that everything went smoothly, while Cassiopeia looked far more preoccupied with examining Irene, with Rose being openly glad that he was alright. After a quick tour of the castle and its grounds by Irene, they held council on their next moves, determining that now Henry needed to secure allegiances of magical beings on his lands.

He had better do it before the July 31st, when a monthly gathering of Wizengamot was held, where he would have to make an appearance and show to the world the new Prince Le Fay. Henry had a week to accomplish it, and he wasn't going to waste it. After that, Arcturus and Regulus decided to return to their own devices, with Regulus believing that he may've had the lead to one of Voldemort's Horcruxes, while Arcturus had to prepare make preparations for a meeting with Narcissa and Draco Malfoy, who all of a sudden decided to meet him tomorrow.

Cassiopeia and Rose decided to remain with Henry, with Cassiopeia jumping at the opportunity to have full access to the Le Fay library. Rose, in the meantime, decided to take to the outside and bask in light and fresh air, along with the beauty of the Albion's Hearth gardens. Ever since Cassiopeia had saved her from Pettigrew and death by infections, she had laid low, fearing even to appear on the public in the other country under a Pollyjuice potion. Rose didn't like to tell her older brother how she was handling herself or how she felt in these past several years, simply stating that she was now better than ever. As much as Harry wanted to press her on more detail, Henry decided against it, knowing that Rose will tell him something when she feels like it. He would simply make sure that she is safe, sound and happy until she decides to talk.

But that didn't mean that Henry could stop worrying for her. In fact, he was worried for Rose, with the cause of his worry being her left arm, the subject of James' sadistic usage of _Caro Mortui_. Before Rose had told him of the curse, he only knew of it in the passing, but after spending a healthy amount of time in Black family's library, he learned of it in far more detail. Detail that had made Henry's worries worse, as the spell caused the flesh of the victim to develop gangrene, an infectious necrosis state of flesh that destroyed the immune system of the man and could very much lead to death in the matter of hours, for a normal human.

Those of magical descent possessed an immune system that was reported of being at least 3 to 4 times stronger than that of non-magical people, meaning that they could even cancerous tumors and most infections that could be deadly. Rose's immune system, according to Cassiopeia, was one of the strongest even among the Wizards and Witches, capable of withstanding continued exposure to _Caro Mortui_ and inflectional necrosis of flesh. In other words, when Cassiopeia had gotten to her, it was a miracle that Rose was still alive.

With knowing that gangrene was and how it affected people, Henry couldn't help but ask himself a question: why didn't Cassiopeia simply remove that rotten piece of infection off of Rose. Of course, it meant that Rose would lose her left arm completely, but that would've been far more preferable than living with a rotten piece of dead flesh attached to her. Instead, Cassiopeia used some kind of complex reanimation rune to let Rose use it, for some reason…

Henry, putting down the book after thinking about it all for a few second, decided that he would have to talk with Cassiopeia about it all. There was something off about this entire situation and he would need to find out what.

"Taking the advantage of your library, milord?" Irene soundlessly appeared before Henry. "I was expecting you to be exploring the dungeons, laboratories, your bedroom, but to find you reading a fantasy novel… It's almost surprising."

"This is my favorite book, but I'm sure you are already aware of it, aren't you?" Irene simply chuckled at that one. "I believe gratitude is in order, seeing this marvelous place so full of books. Thank you for taking care of it all, Irene."

"My pleasure, honestly. I myself do like to come here and indulge myself on some light reading." Irene confessed. "And the gratitude and thank you are very much welcome, milord. It is pleasing to know that all your hard work, effort and centuries worth of service are noticed."

"If you are expecting some kind of raise in payment, need I remind you that you've effectively been on an 800-year long vacation?" Henry playfully asked of her.

"You'd first need to start paying me, before I would want a raise, milord." Irene retorted. "Just making an observation, nothing more, for now. And I am here to inform you that the guests that we have been expecting are here, waiting in the Throne Room."

"Guests?" Henry quirked the brow up at that one. "Wait, you mean the magical beings? I thought that they would arrive tomorrow or day after tomorrow, but not in just under five hours. And are they here en mass?"

"Apparently, you've underestimated their eagerness to meet you and curiosity for your persona." Irene simply stated. "They didn't arrive here en mass, as that would be something of a social disaster. Instead of that, the leaders of their respective races and communes have arrived here, accompanied by their two strongest warriors, while Elementals have opted to send envoys to you, one from each of them. Best if we not make them wait, or there could be some cleaning up to do afterwards." Irene led the way for Henry, who followed her.

"Can you give me a quick heads-up on who the leaders are, what should expect from them and what are their relations between each other?" Henry asked of her.

"Certainly, I was starting to think that you wouldn't ask." Irene told him with a hint of sarcasm. "I will start with the Werewolves and Vampires, the prime troublemakers on your land. Lands of House Le Fay house the majority of UK's werewolves and vampires, and the two races, as you already know have no great love for one another and things often get violent between them. The leader of the Werewolves, Gregory Crawley, is the selected Leader of the Werewolves and has been keeping them away from going rampant throughout the country for their mistreatment, but along with that, he has been fiercely advocating for the rights for his kind with Ministry. While he doesn't hold any love for the Ministry, he has even less sympathy for Voldemort and Fenrir Greyback, believing those to be only trouble for his kind. He is, however, more lenient towards Dumbledore and his faction."

"How close are those leniencies?" Henry asked of Irene.

"He had arrived with Remus Lupin in tow, acting as an 'advisor' to Gregory." Irene informed Henry, who silently cursed after hearing of it. "Lupin will not recognize you. Of that I can assure you, and as for Gregory, not all is lost with him. He wants werewolves to be treated well and with respect, and not prosecuted for just existing, so give him that and some more, and he'll turn towards you. He and his kind are also very closely tied with Night Elves, with two races coexisting in the same forests and with latter supplying Werewolves with needed medications, food and even teaching them their own magic. In exchange, Werewolves protect Night Elves' territories from any possible attackers. Impress the one, and the second will be far more inclined for the fealty." Irene advised him.

"Got that, what about Vampires?" Henry asked of her.

"They are also divided, into Clans, who rule their own stretch of land in your domain and each is led by a Count or a Countess. However, each of those Clans answers to the Blood King or Queen of England, and the current Blood King is Alucard, son of Dracula and Wilhelmina Harker. He is a Dhampir, with his mother still being human when he was conceived and born, but in terms of strength, magical prowess and respect, he is unmatched." Irene spoke up. "Alucard has been keeping Vampires of Britain from entry into Wizarding Worlds' squabbles, and has a far more positive look on humans, due to his own origin. Other Blood Kings and Queens see him weak and too human-loving, but Vampires of Britain prefer his way of ruling, though there are some dissident elements. He is a neutral person, neither for Ministry, Dumbledore or Voldemort, but he stands firm against any prosecutions of his kind and has a great hatred towards Ministry for making hunting Vampires into a sport, and Dhampirs into third-rate citizens."

"Hm, I think that is something I can work with, and I already have few ideas in mind." Henry nodded to her. "What can you tell me about Elementals? I understand that there are three Elemental races that reside in my lands?"

"Yes, there are Nymphs, who govern the rivers, sea and lakes, Dryads, mistresses of forests, fields and nature, and of course Sylphs, rulers of the winds and air." Irene named the Elementals. "They are peaceful and somewhat secluded, each of the races coexisting with each other as is in the balance of the nature. Nymphs are the most peaceful and even somewhat pacifistic of the races, taking care of the waters in your lands. They are represented by a Nymph named Eolante. Getting their fealty is the matter of diplomacy, as well as dealing with the pollution of their waters. Dryads are the most reclusive of the three, but also the most aggressive of the Elementals, protecting the forests fiercely. They coexist in symbiosis with Night and High Elves, taking care of their lands together, while also being close to Werewolves and Centaurs, so getting their approval would ease the diplomacy. Promise of protecting their forests from invading and destructions, as well from Wizards' constant incursions for their resources, and you can get their approval and loyalty. Their representative Neriada will expect that from you."

"Reasonable, and I'll have to think of the way to get it. And what about the Sylphs? I understand that air pollution from factories and all that non magical industry is the major issue with them?" Henry asked of Irene, who nodded to him.

"Correct, but they are somewhat… unpredictable to deal with. Much like wind itself, they do as they please and are just as diverse as the air movement itself, but generally, they never caused any trouble in your lands and, despite their somewhat mischievous behavior, prefer to coexist in peace with others." Irene reported to him. "They should be easy to gain as allies, especially if you manage to stop Ministry's hunt for them. Their hair is a very potent and strong material, quite valuable for Potions, and Sylphs _really_ hate it when they are hunted down. Protect them, as you should with Nymphs and Dryads, as they too are sought for their own materials, as you may imagine. They are represented by a Sylph named Wendy, and do not be surprised by her size and looks."

"Got it. What about our Elven races? I've read about them and their cultures, so I believe I know what they are about, but what about the leaders and current state of affairs?" Henry continued on with Irene.

"Yes, both High and Night Elves are very secluded and do not communicate even with Wizarding World on a regular basis, so they are considered by most to now be mythical." Irene confirmed. "Night Elves are mostly nocturnal creatures, preying to Greek Goddesses of Moon, Night, Wild Life, Hunt, Nature and Fertility, Hecate, Artemis and Demeter, and are the best practitioners of Druidism, and healing magic. Their leader, Queen Eluna stands for her people and their allies, and will want guaranties about their safety, rights and more. She is a strong and powerful leader, so be sure to put up a strong show in front of her and others."

"And what about the High Elves?" Henry asked away.

"They are the opposites of their nocturnal counterparts: pray to Helios, Apollo, Hestia and Hephaestus, along with Demeter, prefer craftsmanship, Transfiguration and Charms to Druidism and connection to Nature. Proud, somewhat arrogant and fierce, their King, Hirandyl, prefers for his people to stand alone and away from the business of others, especially those of Wizarding World. Getting his approval might prove to be difficult." Irene informed Henry. "This leaves the Veelas, the Centaurs and the Jotanns, or Jotunns, whichever way you prefer. The Veelas are the beings that are most closely communicating with Humans, as they build families together, so be sure to protect them, both magical and non-magical men, along with making sure that Veelas aren't prosecuted as supposedly Dark creatures. Their leader is Victoria Delacour, sister-in-law to French Minister of Magic and an aunt to his quarter-Veela daughters, Fleur and Gabrielle, who had suffered a terrible trauma during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Victoria loves her nieces like her own daughters, and has a great deal of hatred towards Dumbledore for what happened to Gabrielle.

"Your general knowledge of the Centaurs is quite correct and enough to navigate your talks with them. The leader you are meeting is also the chosen leader of Centaurs in England, named Chiron. Should his stars tell him to trust you, then you will have his allegiance and the loyalty of the other Centaurs." Irene informed him. "Now, as for Jotanns, they may not be native of England, but have lived here since 17th century. They also live close to human population and intermarry with them, with many Jotanns having human spouses. Like with Veelas, the children of Jotann and non-magical human are born Jotann, while half-bloods come from union of a Jotann and magical person. The Jotanns are very closely linked with humans, but in moments of strong emotion may reveal their second look, which reflects their powers of magic. All of the Jotanns are led by their Queen."

"Jotanns are led by Skadhi, a warrior woman, proud and strong, with a thirst for seeking strong opponents. Their kind is somewhat isolated from others, as they are reclusive to share their powers and knowledge, but they are very powerful sorcerers and warriors. And along with that that, I believe that Skadhi is a quite beautiful young woman, in the prime age for marriage and were she made a wife for one like you, milord, you could be assured of children with great magical prowess." Irene added with a bit of a sultry look, with Henry giving her a small glare. "You would, however, need to prove yourself worthy of her hand, and that might be problematic. She has a bit of a… feisty persona, and before romancing someone, prefers to measure their prowess in battle, so you have been warned. I suspect that she might want to confirm your power through the same process." The pair reached the door that led towards the Throne Room.

"Well, let's get this show on the road, as Yankees like to say." Henry simply said, pushing the door open and stepping inside.

Henry stepped inside the Great Hall, with Irene following him behind, while all the assembled Leaders and their escorts turned their eyes towards Prince Le Fay, eyeing him with curiosity. Henry quickly accessed with his gaze everyone and nearly scowled at the sight of Remus Lupin, one of Dumbledore's prime lackeys and his father's closest friends, who just loved to play his favorite song of the prosecuted and misunderstood Werewolf. His spiteful form stood near an imposing and gruff looking tall man, with reddish long shaggy hair, lush mustache and blind one eye, with scars running near and across it. Gregory Crawley certainly looked like a Werewolf who had been through a lot, and it also showed in his strong posture.

Closest to Gregory stood the Centaurs, with two of them having spears, along with bows and arrows. The one who came without them was an older looking Centaur, with long beard and hair and black eyes, with grey already setting in the hair. He looked at the Prince Le Fay, with his eyes looking at Henry with not just curiosity, but with wisdom and even clear knowledge seen clearly in them. Henry summarized that the one looking at him like that was Chiron.

Next to him, Henry saw three completely different looking women, looking quite drastically from one another. The closest to him looked like a 12-year old girl, dressed in a green and yellow dress, with dark eyes, long straight dark blue hair. She looked like she wasn't belonging in here and wanted to be anywhere but here. Next to her stood a tall, pale young looking woman, roughly about his age, dressed in a blue and white, with wavy long blue like sea hair and same colored yes. She looked at him with something of an interest and measurement. And finally, next to her stood a woman with long dark green hair, braided on her back, with a slightly greenish tint of skin and golden colored eyes. She was dressed in what seemed like a dress made of leafs, with vines circling around her body. She had a bit of a hostile look directed towards Henry, though she kept back her animosity.

After them, Henry's attention came went towards the Elven visitors, immediately finding them. Queen Eluna, a silver-eyed woman with purple skin and green hair, looked every bit as beautiful and regal as a Night Elf could be. She was dressed in silver dress and robes, covering her skin completely, but not denying the pleasure of seeing her perfect figure. Her gaze on Henry was one of interest and curiosity. Her counterpart, Hirandyl, was a tall slightly pale High Elf, with near glowing blue eyes and platinum blond long hair, made into a mane and a ponytail behind him. He was dressed in red and golden robes, with a cloak above them. His look was calculating and one with interest.

Closest to him stood a tall, handsome young man with long raven black hair, red-blood eyes with a slightly pale skin, dressed in black coat with some red mixed in for features. It didn't take long for Henry to find the Blood King of England, Alucard, the Dhampir son of Dracula. His looks were not as Vampire pronounced as one would think, but the paleness of skin and color of eyes still gave away his heritage. He looked with curiosity and interest at Henry, with his red eyes almost unsettling Prince Le Fay.

Following her, Henry's eyes fixated themselves on a very beautiful platinum blond woman with sky blue eyes and an enticing aura surrounding her. Having encountered Veelas before, Henry was able to shake off the powerful allure that he felt towards Victoria Delacour, who accompanied by who looked like husband and another, younger and just as beautiful Veela. Noticing that her target had shaken off her allure, Victoria's eyes widened slightly at that one, while her Veela companion's eyes eyed Henry now with a far more pronounced interest.

And finally, Henry's eyes settled upon the tall, young beautiful woman, with icy blue eyes and same colored long hair, reaching to past her waste. Her skin was as pale as Nymph's, but her figure was one suited for a goddess, with wide hips, excellent waist, long legs and full and luscious breasts, she projected the look of a beauty that could rival that of Irene. But it wasn't what Henry first noticed, but her eyes and the look she was giving him. It was one of interest, but more fiery, strong, fierce and pronounced, with a dare in it. Her lips almost formed into a feral smile at the sight of him, giving him the message: she had found her prey.

Henry reached the center of the room, drawing the eyes of everyone towards himself, before Irene spoke up.

"You stand in the presence of Prince Henry Le Fay, Ruler and Protector of Northern Britannia, Lord of Albion's Hearth, Head of the Houses Le Fay and Slytherin." Irene announced him, with Lupin's and others' eyes widening at that last part. "His Highness is ready to hear your oaths of loyalty and your requests to him."

"Hm, there won't be any oaths coming from me, not now at least." Gregory was the first one to speak in the gruff voice, looking at Henry. "I've heard stories about House Le Fay governing these lands, but I sure as hell wasn't expecting to find Heir of Morgana to also be the Heir of Slytherin."

"The last person to claim to be Lord Slytherin was Voldemort." Remus Lupin spoke up, with Henry looking at him with a bit of an irritation. "You wouldn't happen to be connected, or worse, related in any capacity to such a monster, now would you?"

"Gregory Crawley, I understand your need for being here, as the need for all of you, and I am very thankful to all of you for coming in such a short notice." Henry spoke up to them all. "However, what I do not understand is the need for one such as Remus Lupin to be here. I am aware that he is a Werewolf, true, but he is not of these lands, as well as being an Auror for the Ministry. And on top it all off, I have heard certain rumors, which paint him as nothing more than a lackey to Albus Dumbledore and a member of his semi-secret cabal of supporters." Henry could see how Victoria Delacour, along with Skadhi and Alucard, looked at him with distrust.

"Do you have some kind of problem with Headmaster Dumbledore, Prince?" Remus asked of Henry with narrowed eyes.

"I do, as I have problems with everyone who has a tendency to put the Dark label on everyone who disagrees with their views." Henry answered to Remus, who pursed his lips together. "Mr. Crawley, is it possible for you to remove your… advisor from here. I believe that the proceeding meeting and all that happens here should be confidential. Presence of Mr. Lupin here is certain to destroy any sense of it, as I expect him to report his findings to Dumbledore."

"Agreed. That old coot has no business whatsoever here." Victoria spoke up with fire, with Remus glaring at her. "And you definitely got nothing to do here as well, Lupin."

"I was asked here by Gregory as an advisor on such a peculiar matter." Remus defended his presence here, before turning to Henry. "I assure you, Prince Le Fay, that Headmaster Dumbledore isn't like what you make him to be, and that he only wants to make sure that…"

"What your precious Headmaster wants has nothing to do with our matters here, mutt." Skadhi interrupted Lupin, who cast his glare on her. "Crawley, we all know that this mutt has been licking your bottom for ages now, but this is a matter for _our _people. Outsiders got nothing to do with our matters, especially those that don't even give a damn about us and our rights, not to mention hurt our kind."

"Dumbledore has done nothing wrong for your kind, nor did he…" Remus continued on with his posturing, until he was interrupted by Gregory.

"Enough!" Crawley practically growled at Remus. "Remus, keep your mouth shut and get out of here. It was clearly a mistake to bring you here." Remus looked somewhat betrayed at his friend, before leaving them through the front gates. "I give you my word, Prince Le Fay, that everything that transpires will not leave those that are present here, and sorry about Remus. I thought it would be wise to hear his advice on this matter, though I had no idea you weren't of positive view of Dumbledore."

"I don't have any illusions about him, nor am I much of a supporter of the Ministry, or what it has degraded into." Henry could see that those present here approved of it too. "My advisor, Irene, has made it clear to me that I shouldn't expect you all to swear me fealty right after you see me. I understand that and even approve of that. Loyalties are not given, but earned, as I once heard."

"Whoever said those words captured the reason for our presence here, Your Highness." Eluna spoke up. "Our races and people had once swore fealty to your House, but only because Morgana and her successors have earned our respect and loyalty, not because we blindly have given it away to them. The lands upon which our realms reside may be yours in magic and it does compel us to unite, but we need to be assured that the principals of House Le Fay have not changed with new era and new leader."

"What she is trying to say, we need to know if you'll be looking after _our _interests, or are you going to be another one of those Ministry's hyenas and try to rob us of our rights, possessions, even our homes." Hirandyl spoke up. "Your kind hasn't been very kind to my people in last centuries, especially those that worked for your government. They may claim to look after for us and our interests, but do nothing, when we are in trouble. Even now, as our forests and homes are invaded by the results of their negligence, they just sit back and do nothing."

"Invaded by the results of their negligence?" Henry asked again. "Would you mind clarifying that a bit, because I feel like this is something I might want to know about?"

"Hirandyl's poetic description can be seen as cryptic, Your Highness." Chiron spoke in a peaceful and respectful way. "But it is true in its own way. The Ministry of Magic has not only neglected, but near openly prosecuted our peoples, and this has been going on for near century now. However, the situation that Hirandyl has talked about is also one that can be blamed on the Ministry for not taking care of it."

"For the past thirty or so years, the forests under my people's care have been become the prime target for a new menace, aside from your Wizards and the non-magical marauders." Neriada, the Dryad envoy, spat out. "From the north, out of land you call Scotland, comes new threat- giant eight-legged web weavers that spread like a plague through our forests, with their webs covering our trees and everything that comes into contact with it. Even some of my sisters have fallen prey to those beasts, becoming food for them. Their new colonies spring up near as soon as we destroy the old ones, and they come in tens, if not in hundreds."

"And it's not just the forests that are attacked by those creatures, Prince Le Fay." Alucard spoke up now. "Several Clans that have resided close those areas were forced to abandon their homes. Villages and small towns, places that have been located away from the main civilization, have become the main feeding grounds for those monsters. Six such towns and villages already have become desolated, covered in web, ghost towns, crawling with those creatures. And if you are wondering, the count of victims is near a thousand, Prince Le Fay."

"Giant carnivorous web weavers… You're talking about Acromantulas?" Henry asked of Neriada and others.

"That's what you Wizards call them. We just call them eight-legged freaks." Crawley growled. "Those damned creatures have even started to attack our young, just for food, and it is always assured that nearly everyone who is captured by them is dead already. We've find their remains all the time, covered in webs and drenched in their poison. And your goddamned Ministry doesn't do jack about it, since they don't see it as _their _problem!"

"When it clearly is one and that problem is already getting out of hand." Victoria chimed in, getting the attention of Henry. "Several months ago, one of those Acromantulas had attacked a car driving near the forests, attacking killing the family of four that were there. It happened just five miles away from Liverpool, and they've been creeping up closer and closer ever since. I've already commanded my Veelas and our families to stay away from the forests and hills at night, but I fear that it will only get worse. And since I am sure you are familiar with the Statute of Secrecy, Prince Le Fay, once those spiders start attacking people of a heavily populated city, it won't be long before our little world that Ministry is supposed to protect gets exposed with all its dirty little secrets."

"Well, at least Dumbledore _does_ listen to us." Gregory spoke up again, drawing everyone's attention. "Remus says that he is willing to help me and my people, if we make sure to be on his side if things get hairy between him and Ministry, or whoever who tries to do wrong."

"Oh, so he's willing to help you out _now_, Gregory?" Hirandyl glared at the Werewolf Alpha. "Please tell me that you aren't so stupid as to believe in him? We all know that there is something really bad afoot in the Wizarding World, not to mention those rumors about Voldemort's return. Face it, Crawley: he doesn't give a damn about your people, nor about our peoples, he simply wants to keep the Werewolves away from joining any 'Dark' forces. After all, everyone knows about your kind's tendency to stir up trouble with Ministry is at its weakest."

"You don't know that, Hirandyl." Gregory glared back at the High Elves' King. "I know that my kind often have been manipulated with false promises, but this time, I'm confident that Dumbledore will help me and Werewolves. Remus swore that he would do so, and he is…"

"Oh will you ever shut up about your little domesticated mutt, Gregory?" Skadhi called him out with a challenging look. "Crawley, do you _really_ think that Lupin's true loyalties are to you and _your _people? Of course it is not, it's always been to one person only- Dumbledore, and why wouldn't he be loyal to him first of all? That man let him, a Werewolf, to study at Hogwarts, then set him up to be an Auror and a member of the Ministry's DMLE, basically sparing him the life that the rest of your people lead. Face it, Crawley, Remus is just a spoke person for Dumbledore, who sees himself not even as a Werewolf, but a man with a bad disease. Hell, I'll bet my money on the fact that he secretly despises being among you all the time: unkempt, illiterate, filthy, mingy wolves that live a life of misery and depravity."

"You keep your mouth shut, you frost-blooded…" Crawley was ready to tear Skadhi a new one, before Henry spoke up.

"Enough!" Henry drew the attention to himself, with Skadhi giving him a curious look, while Gregory Crawley was ready to kill someone. "Gregory, I believe that Lady Skadhi's words reflect what she believes are Remus Lupin's thoughts on your people, not her own. Am I correct, Lady Skadhi?" Henry gave her a stern, near glaring look, which the Jotann woman took with a sultry smile on her face.

"Yes, that's what I think about your little puppy, Gregory. I personally have always admired your people, honestly. After all, they do make very fine and fierce warriors, especially during the full moon." Skadhi chuckled to herself, while licking her upper lip, before turning to Henry Le Fay with a challenging and even inviting look.

"Gregory, my apologies, but I too believe that Skadhi is correct in her words." Queen Eluna spoke up in a placating manner to her old friend. "Remus may appear as a friend, but he is from the entirely different world than you and your people. And this offer… If Dumbledore, being the Leader of Light that he claims to be, was able to help you all this time, decided to this only now? And why not help us all at once? I am sorry, Gregory, but… I believe that it would be better to try our chances with the ruler of these lands than the Chief Warlock of the Ministry. I do hope that you plan of _ruling _and _governing _your realm, do you not, Prince Le Fay." She shot him a strong look.

"I wouldn't have wanted to meet you all if I wanted to do otherwise." Henry said, before taking in a breath and speaking up. "I know that all of you are here because you've felt my House's magic being reawakened, the magic that has governed in these lands and strengthened it and its inhabitants. In the past, House Le Fay have been your sovereigns and has earned your loyalties, not through fear, deception or any other underhanded means, but through doing what was right for you. I intend to do to the very same thing, and to those that have come here after my House has fallen, I tell you, that I _will_ treat you and your people equal to those that have lived here centuries prior. On July 31st, I will make my public appearance and proclaim my rights and power as Prince Le Fay to all of Wizarding World, and I will make it absolutely clear, that in my realm, magical beings, non-magical humans and Wizards and Witches will _all _be treated as equals, with no exceptions. On these lands, I intend to have it be so, no other way."

"This sounds all nice and good, Your Highness." Eolante spoke up finally. "However, you must realize that the Ministry will never consider your declarations and will not stand for it. They'll simply enforce their own laws on us."

"They may try, and they will fail at that, because of their own laws that they have made." Henry informed them all. "Ever since I've reactivated my House's magic, all that is within the borders of my House has effectively seceded from the Ministry's direct control, becoming largely autonomous, or in other words, mine. These lands are now mine, and while I may adhere to Ministry and its rules, I am, now in their eyes, a ruler of a dominion that is nominally under their control. And in this dominion, this Kingdom, there will be _our _laws, _our _justice and there won't be any of the Ministry's machinations, none of their oppression and subjugation. It is true that we will be a tributary state to Magical Britain, yes, but we will not be their servants and slaves. Instead of the Wizengamot and the corrupt Minister, I would have a Council made, one that will look for interests of _all _of you."

"What manner of a Council would that be, hm? A puppet show, like that Department of Care for Magical Beings and Creatures?" Neriada asked of Henry.

"No, an actual Council, consisting of the representatives of all magical beings and races in these lands, _your _people's representatives." Henry said to Neriada. "I may be effectively the ruler of this land, but I know naught of your people, your customs, problems and more. I wish not the tyranny and oppression, but a guided and wise rule, and that is impossible if I do not know your people. And who are better at helping them then they are? Choose your spokesmen, give them the authority to speak on your behalf, bring your trouble to the table and we _will_ deal with them, together and peacefully. I will say that I _will_ see to it that there is no form of oppression towards _any _magical being _or _humans in my land, magical _and _non-magical. They are equals, all of them."

"Hm, sounds quite reasonable and progressive, when compared to what Ministry has in place." Alucard said in a slightly impressed voice. "However, if all are equal, there comes the problem for my people- blood. I, along with many other Dhampirs in England, can survive on normal food for some time, but even we and all the other Vampires _need _blood, and the surest way to get it is from drinking it from the source. If non-magical humans are equal to us, which is not as foreign to my Vampires as you may think, how are we to hunt them for sustenance, Prince Le Fay?"

"There will be, of course, special cases like this one, Blood King. Cases that which we will address once the Council in place, but if you are asking me about how I see this problem being corrected, then here is how: your Clans and Vampires all have specified areas for hunting and limitations to how much and for how many you hunt down, am I correct?" Henry asked of him.

"Yes, there are rules and laws in place, keeping my people at bay and preventing our exposure to the rest of the world. Should such laws be broken by anyone, punishment is death." Alucard spoke up. "We are not as… feral as the Ministry would have you believe. We hunt and drink blood only to sustain ourselves, not to overindulge ourselves in carnal pleasures, and we very rarely kill our victims, especially the innocents, nor do we attack children. Killing during feeding is considered animalistic and barbaric by us, and only is allowed with criminals that we capture, and we only turn into our kind those that have given their agreement to it, usually the spouses, lovers, closest friends and adoptive families. Many of my Vampires in this day and age like to take themselves a Human spouse, not only to sustain themselves, but also to create a family with. My father's example has set quite the standard for the children of the night in here, even if we are spurned by all other Clans and Kings around the world."

"If there is an effective system that ensures your people's being fed and well, as well as prevents unnecessary human casualties and deaths, then why change it?" Henry asked of him, with Alucard blinking at him for a few seconds, until Henry turned to Skadhi and Victoria, addressing them. "I understand that your people live close to general populations. Do Vampires and their hunts cause you any unrest and trouble?"

"Aside from the local tales of spooky monsters in the night, there isn't much of unrest, really." Victoria spoke up, with Skadhi nodding to that one. "My people even cooperate with others here, including vampires. I know a couple of Veelas, who are bonded with Vampires, and they lead a pretty happy life, and Vampires do not hunt for most other magical creatures, especially those around here. Something about blood not being very tasty or something…"

"More like in the line of an unspoken rule, shared between Vampires, about leaving other magical creatures out of our menu." Alucard explained. "We can drink blood of other races, true, like of Veelas and Centaurs, but we do not hunt for them purposefully: humans are easier to come by and hunt, no offence, and it is also more nutritious for us. Though I know of those Vampires you spoke of, and I've heard from them that their Veela wives allow them to drink their blood instead of the victims. Something to do with Veelas considering it as an act of loyalty to them and marking their own territory, if I am not mistaken?"

"We are quite a jealous race, and we'd only have our husbands suck us dry than the others." Victoria laughed at that one, with some chuckling to her, while her husband and other Veela blushed deep red. "But overall, there aren't much trouble, really."

"Same with my people, though we Jotunns don't mingle with blood-suckers here." Skadhi spoke up. "Though they do make some competition…" She said more to herself then the others.

"And if there are any problems of such sort, or like one that you face with Acromantulas, it will be discussed by the Council and dealt with, either together, or by me personally." Henry said with strength, getting their attention again. "I don't have any illusions, and I understand that all I've said are only words to you now. However, I am ready and willing to prove those words and my intentions by actions. Neriada, you say that Acromantulas come from north, Scotland?"

"Yes, they do, and my Queen believes that she knows the place of origin of those beasts." Neriada spoke up. "Near the Wizarding School of Hogwarts, there is an ancient and massive forest, one that she had helped to grow and flourish. For hundreds of years, my people have called that place home and lived there peacefully, until we were exiled out of there two hundred years ago. Since then, the forest has become a shadow of its former self: dark, twisted, filled with every manner of danger to itself and others. My Queen believes that the spiders have made a nest there and it has become too big."

"Hm, one of the tribes of Centaurs also lives in that forest, and they have talked about those spiders being there, and that it had been there for over 40 years now, having started by two spiders." Chiron mused, before turning to Neriada, who looked at him. "I am sorry, Neriada, but they were prohibited to kill them by Dumbledore. The Forbidden Forest is sacred to my people as much as it is to yours, and he holds the power to exile them out there as a Headmaster, should we overstep ourselves. He says that "it is not our place to destroy innocent creatures and beasts that merely try to survive in our harsh world, just like your people do…" Chiron quoted Dumbledore to everyone.

"That man has the gall to compare us to those filthy creatures?" Neriada hissed at what Chiron said. "My Queen will hear of it, Chiron, and she won't be very happy with it. She has lost three daughters to them already, and she wants to avenge them, as do all of my sisters and our daughters."

"Dumbledore doesn't care about saving some endangered species, trust me on that one." Henry spoke up. "The reason why he keeps those spiders there so that he can have an endless supply of Acromantula's venom, web and other ingredients that come from them. The venom of Acromantula costs 100 Galleons for a pint among the merchants and potions masters, if the rumors are to be believed."

Henry knew of that all too well, as well as about the colony of Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest. He had learned of it directly from Hagrid, the gatekeeper of Hogwarts, in his first year he had wanted to learn about the forest. Needless to say that after he had read about the Acromantula and what they really were, Harry was somewhat distraught about such creatures being so close to Hogwarts. But that was only until Harry had learned from Andromeda Tonks just _how _much Acromantula's venom costs in Diagon Alley. That's when his Slytherin side had awakened, and he saw in those spiders not a threat, but something far more interesting: a way to earn money.

Ever since he entered his third year, Henry had started making regular visits into the Forbidden Forest, finding Acromantulas, killing them, extracting venom and stacking it up to later sell it in the Knockturn Alley. Though a couple of first visits there were frightening and even too dangerous for his liking, after he had learned from his mistakes, Henry began to make quite the headway with it. By the time the year was over, he would leave Hogwarts with at least two to five liters of Acromantula's venom, fresh and deadly. Aunt Cassie, though a bit shocked at her great-nephew's activity, was always happy to sell the poison for him, as it would be less conspicuous, in return for a liter of fresh Acromantula poison.

The number of killed Acromantulas was up to a few hundred spiders, but they were almost nothing in light of the massive colony that was there, where each month bore more and more of the crawling creatures. Plus, it also allowed Henry to let out steam in a relatively safe for others way. Not to mention that he had learned _why _Dumbledore was keeping those beasts so close to school, having spotted the old man and Snape on multiple times going towards colony for the same reason as Henry. Apparently he wasn't the only one who had thought about such way of earning money, plus it also explained just how Dumbledore could afford those expensive ridiculous robes, or how Snape could get his hands on the rarest sets of potion making, with the school budge never being large enough to allow buying highest quality things.

"Hear that, Crawley? Did your dear little puppy omit to mention that?" Skadhi chuckled when she heard the Werewolf growl. "Open your eyes, wolfie: Dumbledore won't do jack about those spiders, because he must be earning tens of thousands of Galleons off those beasts. And if there is one thing that men don't like, then it's losing a source of easy money."

"Grr, fine, you all win!" Crawley nearly howled, before turning towards Henry. "Maybe Dumbledore has been trying to get me and my people as his attack boys, but what about you, huh? What's going to stop you from making all of us here into your personal ball lickers, especially with your little Devil just standing there and waiting for your command? You want to prove that mean _real_ business, then how about you deal with those freaks up in Scotland, all on your own and without the cheerleader there to help you?"

"Mr. Crawley, you do remember that as a Devil I could vaporize you all in a second, just for that little comment, hm?" Irene asked of him. "And you do not get to make demands of such kind of Prince Le Fay and…"

"Irene, he has a point." Henry simply stopped her, with Crawley smirking to that one. "I agree, Crawley. However, if you are making a dare, then how about after I exterminate them, you seize contact with Remus Lupin and Dumbledore."

"Not going to ask for the immediate oath, huh?" Gregory asked of him. "Fine by me, but I want proof that you won't use your walking nuclear warhead here to do your dirty work."

"I, Henry Le Fay, swear upon my magic to exterminate the Acromantula colony, without relying on any form of direct and indirect help from Irene." The magical oath has been accepted by magic. "Does that suffice?"

"Quite." Crawley chuckled to that one, while some gave him a glare for his gamble.

"Now, if anyone has any questions then…" Henry was ready to continue, when he had suddenly heard right up in his mind the voice of his sister.

"_Harry, help me! Remus, he found me! I am found! He is trying to take me back to Potters! HELP!"_ Rose screamed in his mind, and in the next second, without even considering anything, he apparated out of the hall.

* * *

**Earlier.**

Rose walked around the many beautiful flowers, taking in the smell of nature, enjoying the warm sun and light breeze. It had been _ages _since she had been outdoors and it had been even longer since she had been in a garden. She may've spent long hours on the backyard of Black Family's mansion, or in Aunt Cassiopeia's greenhouse, but outside of it all and in such beautiful place… Rose has missed it all very much, almost as much as she had missed her big brother.

At the thought of the reason why she had been so reclusive, she turned her face towards the rotten piece of flesh that once was her left arm. The mere look at it had caused Rose to wince at the memories of pain, suffering, and the sickening looks of her parents. She could still clearly remember how satisfied with himself looked James Potter, while Rose writhed in agony from his curse, while Lily Potter held her via a spell. They had wanted her to marry Ronald Weasley, a poor excuse of a human being, and to betray her own brother. She had always knew that those two had hated her and Harry, just because they had existed, and wanted to get rid of us. With Harry in Azkaban, they found a particularly sick way to get rid of her- marry her off to Ron Weasley, sixth son of Weasley Family and a well-known idiot and fool.

From the outside, it may seem that House Potter wanted to strengthen ties with their closest allies, but in the realty… The main reason why House Potter even had connections with House Weasley was because Dumbledore had made sure to keep the two of his most loyal houses connected to each other. It was because of him that William Potter was to marry Ginevra Weasley, having given advice to a political imbecile that was James Potter, while marrying off Rose was the idea of Lily Potter, who had always thought of Weasleys as lowest sorts of society whose only way to get well in Wizarding World was through connection to her family.

Rose's defiance had cost her arm, weeks of diseases, illnesses and worse, with Potters refusing to treat her or call for doctor until she agreed with them and made a magical vow. In hindsight, even though she had refused to do so, Rose knew that Potters would never call for doctor to treat what they had done her. It would, after all, expose who they truly were and just how rotten to the core they were. She had even suspected that they had wanted her to simply die, especially when they heard of Pettigrew escaping from Azkaban. They would be rid of an evidence of their true nature, and would even make her into martyr, adding up to their PR. They nearly had their wish, when Pettigrew had tried to kill her on her way to train, when she was practically a walking dead. Had it not been for Aunt Cassiopeia getting worried about her and rushing there to her, she would be dead for real, if not from Pettigrew, then from the gangrene that day.

Whatever miracle Cassiopeia had used, it had saved Rose's life, but a great cost- she wasn't allowed to use her magic. Cassiopeia wasn't able to get rid of her rotten arm, so instead of just leaving it be, she put it into some strange state of being, in which Rose could still use it, but it was also dead at the same time. She had explained to Rose that the runes used on her arm could be destroyed easily, simply through the smallest usage of her magic. A great cost, but Rose had accepted it and learned to live with it.

Shaking off her head from the bad thoughts, Rose calmed herself, reminding herself that she was safe and sound that she never again will be in the reach of Potters, Dumbledore and their friends.

"Rose? Little Rosy?" Rose's eyes widened when she heard the familiar voice, forcing her to turn around and look in horror at the sight of Remus Lupin standing just a few meters away from her. "By Merlin, it is you, Rose! What are you doing in here, girl? We all thought you were dead, but… Wait, is that Le Fay Prince holding you hostage, isn't he?" Remus stepped closer to her, with Rose practically jumping away from him.

"S-stay away from me!" She shouted, her right hand already going into her pocket to grab a small pocket watch, charmed by her brother to always be in contact with him. "H-he is keeping me s-safe, s-safe from you a-and Potters. G-go away, now!" Remus saw the shocked state of Rose, and knowing of what Potters have done with her, decided to play her in her vulnerable state.

"Rose, what are you talking about, dear? You must delirious. Your parents were beside themselves when they heard about Pettigrew and you." Remus tried to convince her, getting closer and closer to her, secretly going for his wand, with Rose trying to stay away. "Weasleys were horrified as well, especially your intended. Come now, we are going home, you'll be safe there. Come on, grab on to me, you girl, now!" Remus went on to grab Rose's right arm, squeezing it painfully.

It was at that moment that Rose had sent out her mental message to her brother… and when her magic reacted to being caught. According to her great grandfather and great-aunt, she had about as much magical power as her grandmother Dorea, and she had quite a great deal of it. Her mind was in shock, memories of the past flooded her mind, and when Remus grabbed onto her with his wand pointed right at her, Rose screamed on top of her lungs, unleashing an extremely powerful surge of magic. She sent Remus flying back, landing on his belly, while she fell on to the ground. Remus, having felt extreme pain from it all, especially from magic of Rose, stood up and began to walk towards her.

"Oh, you little impulsive wench… I'll make sure that your parents teach you respect, Rose." He growled out, as he was ready to curse her…

"**STAY AWAY FROM HER!"** Remus' ears heard an earth shuttering near demonic scream, before he was yanked off the ground slammed right into the wall, breaking several of his ribs.

He looked down from his elevated position, seeing Prince Le Fay, holding him in the air through his sheer magical power, with his left hand lifted up. The look on his face… It was one of utter murder, sheer rage and fury displayed on it, as Henry's face morphed into one that a Greek Fury would gain. He walked towards Remus, still holding him wandlessly up in the air and not even allowing him to move a muscle, before he spoke in a low and threatening voice.

"You've overstayed your welcome, Lupin." Le Fay said to him, effortlessly holding him in the air. "Just who the hell do you think you are to snoop around _my castle_?!"

"That girl… She is a Potter, Rose Potter." Remus hissed at Prince Le Fay, who took a glance at the immobile form of laying girl, before turning his murderous gaze back at him. "Everyone will soon know… You kidnapped the daughter of a Noble House and… Use her as a slave, or worse…" With every word, Remus watched as the fire in the eyes of Le Fay lit up even more

"Use her?" Le Fay said, before shifting up his magical grip on Remus, focusing it up on Remus' throat.

In the next second, Remus felt that his limbs were once again to move… And in the next second he clutched at his throat, feeling how it was being squeezed with unimaginable force. Werewolf was no stranger to great physical force and pain, but this… He couldn't even do a thing agaisnt it, as Le Fay literally was squashing his throat, choking the life out of him. After a few seconds, Henry spoke up again.

"Listen to me, Remus Lupin, and listen well: I know _everything _that you and your friends Potters have done, both to Rose and her older brother." Remus' eyes widened when he heard it come from Prince Le Fay, while he still continued to clutch on for air. "I know about neglect, how you treated them as trash and how you with your friends and Dumbledore's pet Death Eater have sent an innocent man into Azkaban to die. And I know _all _about Rose and what James and Lily Potters have done to their own daughter, how they've condemned her to death with _Caro Mortui_." Le Fay spat out the name of the spell, as he continued to choke on, nearly

"Prince Le Fay, let him go!" Sounded the gruff voice of Gregory Crawley, who had followed after their host with the others, looking at him with shock. "Stop that, you maniac, or I…"

"Or you'll drop dead, you idiotic mutt!" Neriada shouted at him, standing between him and Prince Le Fay. "Your pet there had tried to take that girl there! I've sensed a magical transmission from her to Prince being delivered, he's defending her! Stand back, for your own sake."

"Sh-she is right, I've sensed that transmission too. He was after the girl." Wendy spoke up in a meek voice.

"Still, milord, it won't do you good to kill him. Even if he had trespassed and attacked your Vassal, you can't simply kill him like that." Irene spoke up in a strong manner, getting through to her Prince. "You can punish him, severely even, but if you kill him, you'll just give the Ministry and Dumbledore the needed pretense to dispose of you through legal means in Wizengamot. Your Highness…"

Prince Le Fay looked at his advisor, before letting go of Remus Lupin, who immediately started to cough for air. Henry took a glance back at the gathered crowd, through which moved Cassiopeia with a worried look. When her eyes had shifted to the laying form of Rose, she dashed right towards her, a look of utter worry and horror written all over her face. Catching on to that look, Prince Le Fay grabbed Remus' collar roughly and shoved him into the wall, speaking to him, with his wand already pointed at the werewolf.

"I may not be able to kill, yet, but let me this clear: stay bloody away from Rose Potter. If I learn that you, or any other member of the Order, or worse, Potters are anywhere within a mile's radius of her, I will kill every single one of you, starting with skinning you alive." Henry threatened to Remus.

"Dumbledore… Won't allow you to do it, you punk." Remus growled out, before the pressure on his chest increased. "The Wizengamot will sue you… For kidnapping a noble Witch, and James will…"

"Will shut his damn mouth, or he and his wife will be spending the rest of their lives in Tartarus, wishing for Azkaban." Henry hissed at him, lowering his wand slightly. "I've got enough evidence to destroy House Potter where it stands, and even if the Wizengamot will not move to incarcerate them, thanks to your great Leader of Light and Minister, the ICW's court will be more than happy to deal with them, as well as you entire damn cabal. So you do well to inform your friend Potter and Dumbledore about it and tell them to stay away from me and Rose. She is not my slave, nor a lover or even a wife, but she is my most trusted friend and the Heiress of House Le Fay. And I intend to make the people that hurt her suffer, just like she did. _Caro Mortui_." Henry spoke the name of the Dead Flesh curse, pointing his wand on Remus' right arm.

The screams of the werewolf could be heard throughout the miles away, as he felt his flesh and bones rot and blacken. Henry didn't mince his words and power, sending a great deal of the latter in to his curse that was eating away Remus' right hand. In the matter of seconds, Remus's right arm below the elbow looked just like the overgrown piece of rotten flesh. Henry released his hold on the curse and let Remus fall on to the ground clutching his ruined hand.

"Tell anyone in Ministry about it and what you found, mutt- and I'll make you wish that Voldemort had gotten you before me. Now get the hell out of here and remember to tell you friends what I told them." Henry jerked his head to the exit, signaling Remus to get out of her, and so he did through apparition. "Crawley, next time he comes here, with or without you, he is dead. Am I understood?" Henry turned his murderous gaze towards the werewolf, who understood that Remus had screwed up big time, nodded to him.

"Prince Le Fay!" Cassiopeia called him out, with the fog of rage lifting off of Henry, as he dashed to her.

"What is wrong with her, Cassiopeia?!" He nearly shouted at her, looking at his unconscious sister, before putting a hand on to her head. "She is burning up inside! Did he curse her?!"

"No, it is much worse!" Cassiopeia spoke up, waving her wand trying to stabilize Rose. "It's her damned arm! The rune array was destroyed and the infections with gangrene are back in full effect!"

"Harry, she is dying!"

* * *

**Aren't I a bloody cliffhanger bastard, am I? But in all seriousness, I know that this is cruel as hell of me, but don't you worry, I do intend to fix it all. Now onto some things that may stick out.**

**1\. Fleamont mansion. Yes, Potters did live only on Fleamont property, as James and Lily couldn't get into the Potter property. Right now, they are allowed, but only thanks to Henry giving his permission through the Gringotts, with that scheme of his.**

**2\. The envoys. Yeah, I drew A LOT of inspiration about them from mass media, namely video games, comic books and anime. Like with Night Elves and High Elves being out of World of Warcraft, Crawley also based off a character there. Wendy, a Sylph ambassador, is from Fairy Tail, like Irene. And as for Skadhi, she is partially based off Esdeath in Akame Ga Kill, in looks and in her interest in battles. Go ahead and punish me if you want, but I did as I wanted to and feel no shame.**

**Now, a little bit more about the magical beings in general. Vampires in British Isles are what you would consider to be the most progressive type, as well as pacifistic when compared to their continental bretheren. They are seen by other Clans as weaklings and human lovers, while they themselves rather prefer to live the way they do. Elementals are the races that are connected to the forces of nature, like water, fire, air, nature itself. Nymphs, sylphs and dryads are the ones of Elementals that live in Le Fay lands, and these races are purely female, and they do not birth half-bloods or half-breeds. If a wizard does the deed with a sylph or a dryad, the result will always be the same one- the child will be of the race of her mother.**

**3\. Acromantulas. I need to be honest with you, I utterly hate the spiders and have an arachnophobia. And that damned scene in The Chamber of Secrets… Ugh… Anyway, the reason why I decided to use them is because I often see them not utilized at all in Fanfiction, and that they aren't all that explored. From what I've read on the wiki, those bastards can breed worse than rabbits, with one female capable of laying A HUNDRED BLOODY EGGS! And that is one go, and even if we take into the account that she can only lay once a year, with the number of female Acromantula also increasing, the Forbidden Forest would simply run out of space for spiders to use. **

**And it doesn't look like Dumbledore does anything about them and their population, so in other words, those damn creatures would start to migrate in tens and hundreds for better places to set up their colonies. So those eight-legged freaks headed down south and are now a serious problem to the magical beings there. And as for Ministry… Let's face it, at this point, it's just there to look pretty and nothing more.**

**Now as for how Remus found Rose and got away with it, it'll be explained later, as will be explained what is happening to her.**

**Leave a review, suggestion, question, anything you like, follow and favor, you all help me get better.**

**Next time: Secret of Harry Potter; Meeting where the dead lay…**

**See ya soon!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Albion's Hearth. Evening.**

It has been near four hours since the incident in the gardens, and ever since then, Henry hasn't left his spot from outside of one of the bedrooms in the castle. He, along with Irene, was now joined by Arcturus, Regulus and Nymphadora, all of them waiting for Cassiopeia to come out of the room and tell them that Rose was going to be okay. Or at least they had hoped she would tell them that, as even with the wishful thinking, it was clear that young girl's chances on surviving were at an all-time low, as the gangrene and necrosis of living tissue has caused far too much damage to be simply repaired.

Henry paced around the door, trying to keep himself from busting through that door, as it would do no good to anyone. While his face as a stone cold mask of indifference, one that he had perfected over the course of his time in Hogwarts, inside he was raging and burning like firestorm. How could Cassiopeia and Arcturus not have told him about how dire was Rose's situation? And even more importantly, why the hell didn't Rose herself tell him about the damage that their parents have done? Why haven't Cassiopeia done anything to help her?

Those were the main questions that have plagued his mind now, as he frantically tried to come with the answers to them. But then his more logical, practical side had stopped him in his mental tracks, redirecting his efforts to the more pressing and important matter: what could he do to save Rose? And the short answer to that was none too endearing, as it was practically nothing.

While Henry had more than enough knowledge and experience with Dark Arts, Curses and also had some knowledge with medical charms and spell breaking, he was nowhere near good enough for Rose at the moment. What she most definitely needed right now was the master in medical field, Alchemist and possibly even a Transfiguration master, and with only the last could Henry qualify as one. And Cassiopeia was already a master in all of those spheres, possibly the only hope for Rose…

…Or not.

Henry's eyes widened, as a memory had flashed right up in his mind. He was almost ready to kick his own bottom for forgetting something _that _important, but he was mentally thanking the heavens for allowing him to remember it. If he was correct in his mind, then what he had just remembered could very well save Rose. He just needed to get it, which wouldn't be too much of a trouble for him, and then he would need to give it to Cassiopeia so that she would be able to use it to safe Rose.

And speak of the Devil, Cassiopeia opened up the door and stepped out of it, closing it behind. She looked tired and exhausted, as everyone looked at her with hope. One look in her own eyes spoke volumes about the situation, even before she opened her mouth.

"I've managed to stabilize Rose, but only through putting her into a magical stasis, which will keep her in a state of suspended animation until we find a way to help her. I've removed the rotten arm entirely, but as I've feared it was far too late for that." Cassiopeia gave them all the uneasy news. "The tissue necrosis has reached too close to Rose's heart, and I couldn't operate near it, or I would be risking her life too much. The infections have nearly collapsed her immune system, so the gangrene spread throughout left side of the body in a rapid speed, with Rose's own magic having boosted it up. I… I don't even know how… I have no idea how to help her now, safe for keep her in that stasis. Harry, I…"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me about it in first place, Cassiopeia?!" Henry nearly roared at her. "Why didn't you even tell me a goddamn word about how serious this all was?! Rose is my bloody sister, my own fucking blood, and you didn't even have a damn idea to tell me about her being nearly half corpse!"

"Yes I didn't tell you, and I am sorry, but only did it because Rose herself didn't want to disturb you with it." Cassiopeia spoke up in a stern tone of voice. "She knows how important our job is and she knows what our priorities are and what they should be."

"Rose is my first goddamn priority, and she was always the top priority, and you bloody well know about it." Henry hissed at his great aunt. "If you've told me from the get go, I would've figured out the way to help her."

"Harry, I know how much Rose means to you, and she means the world to us all, but…" Nym trailed off, when she caught a scary glare from Henry.

"If Cassiopeia Black, the renowned Alchemist and expert in medical arts, wasn't able to help Rose recover from what she had been suffering from, what could you do?" Irene spoke up, not fazed by the heated glare sent her way by Henry. "For all your magical prowess and accumulated knowledge, even you have to understand that there wasn't much that you could do to help her. I may've removed most of your memories out of my mind, but I do remember the extent of your skills, knowledge and powers."

"We all have respected Rose's wish, boy, and we haven't stopped looking for the ways to help her." Arcturus spoke up. "We have tried all that we could reach for: advanced medical charms, tears of phoenix, dark rituals, and more. And none had produced the needed results, all that could be done was what Cassiopeia had done to Rose's arm and that damned gangrene. But with Rose using her magic like that and with Lupin find out about her… You should've killed him when you had the chance, not let him go like that. Dumbledore and Potters will use the knowledge of you having Rose agaisnt us, and that is the last thing we need."

"Need I remind you that killing Lupin would've landed us all into far worse trouble than that?" Irene spoke up in a bit irate tone of voice. "As much I myself support the idea of that mutt dying, it wouldn't win us any favors with the races on these lands, especially with the Werewolves and their allies. By letting him go, but still being punished, Prince Le Fay showed steel in front of his potential subjects in how he will deal with those that try to trample on his land, along with being excused in the eyes of the Ministry. Like it or not, but that display has actually won you more than a few points in the eyes of the representatives, which I suspect, will make them more agreeable to dealings with us."

"Yeah, I get it, but wouldn't that make Henry and House Black the prime targets for Potters, Dumbledore and the Order, now that they know about Rose being alive and all that?" Nym asked of them all.

"We all knew that we would be in their sights the moment Henry made his public appearance in Wizengamot." Regulus spoke up in a composed and calm manner. "As for the situation with Rose, we'll deal with it and alter our plans however we need to. After all, that is what we Slytherins have always done: adapted to the new situations. However, before we start drawing up the new plans, we should focus on the matter at hand. Auntie, you've said that the rot had set in Rose's body firmly, right? Is there any way to use Transfiguration on it? While was in America, I've heard from one of the American Unspeakables about the possible application of Transfiguration in medical field."

"Regulus, that was the very first thing that I had tried with Rose, but it proved too dangerous and impossible for me to help her." Cassiopeia let out a frustrated sigh. "By the time I had gotten to her two years ago, she was already too far gone, and I've tried to transfigure the damaged tissue, vessels and muscles near her heart to save her. The problem was transfiguration of a dead flesh into living one is near impossible, and changing that rotten flesh into other materials is out of question as it would damage the body too much. The only circumstance under which it would be possible to save Rose's flesh from gangrene would be to use the Philosopher Stone."

"Wait, isn't that the same thing that had kept Nicholas Flammel with his wife alive all these years? How does it work anyway, that it had allowed them to live past 700 years?" Nym asked of them.

"He and his wife had used the Stone to alter the laws of life and death, allowing them to circumvent them. Nicholas had developed an Elixir of Life, which had granted him immortality, as well as complete immunity from any form of infection, disease and likewise." Cassiopeia spoke up. "I was one of his last students, and while he himself had never revealed to me the secret of Elixir's making, I've figured it on my own through what I learned from him. If I've had the Stone on hand, I could've used it to either safely transfigure Rose's damaged tissue and flesh into healthy ones, or concocted the Elixir and used it to safe Rose, as Flammel had told me that it could even reverse the effects of necrosis and gangrene."

"Then all we need to do is to go to Nicholas Flammel, ask for that Stone and…" Regulus trailed off, when he saw the looks on Harry's and Cassiopeia's faces. "From the looks on your faces, that isn't an option, right?"

"No, because Nicholas Flammel and his wife have been dead for years now and the Stone is in the possession of Flammel's star student and his favorite pupil of all time- Dumbledore." Cassiopeia spoke up, with Regulus and Arcturus scowling at the mention of it. "He has had it for years now, and I highly doubt that he would ever even admit to having it, much less give it to us, not without paying a price too much."

"Dumbledore doesn't have the Stone." Henry suddenly spoke up, drawing all the attention in the corridor to him. "He did once have it, back in 1991, when had used it to draw the wraith of Voldemort, which he did. However, he had lost it just before the Christmas, and hasn't found it since."

"How would you know of that, Harry?" Cassiopeia asked of him, before her eyes widened when she realized it. "Morgana… Y-you've…"

"Back when I figured out what Voldemort was after and after I've dealt with him, I've decided not leave the Stone lying around in the Hogwarts, so I took it." Henry informed them all, stunning them all into silence. "I will admit that my initial thought was actually to return the Stone back to Flammels, but when I've found out where they lived and arrived there, I've found both of them dead. And I don't mean from old age, as their house was thoroughly trashed, with any and all writings of Flammel on Stone and other research missing completely, and the pair was dead _for months _after I've arrived there. All of that had led me to believe that your old teacher wasn't as willing to part with the Philosopher Stone as Dumbledore would have everyone believe."

"Wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to do something like that, and it has always seemed very strange to me that Nicholas Flammel would give away the Philosopher's Stone after having it for centuries." Arcturus spoke up, before turning to face Henry. "Now about the Stone, when were _you_ going to tell us about it, boy?"

"Only after Hogwarts, when I knew that I was a good safe distance away from Dumbledore and any of his cronies." Henry answered. "However, since we all know how that one turned out, I'd say that now is the best time to get it, and I intend to get it. Cassiopeia, you've said that you'd be able to cure Rose. Are you absolutely sure of that?"

"Absolutely, just get me that damn Stone, and I'll show what I can _really _do with it." Cassiopeia said to him, with Henry nodding to her.

"Good, because I'll be heading out for it right now and none of you here can come with me on this one." Henry said to them, as he already headed towards the balcony.

"What, trying to protect your secrets from us, Harry?" Nym asked of him half-amused, before he turned around and spoke in a serious tone

"No, just trying to protect you from the untimely death. I've hid the Stone in one place that not even Dumbledore or Voldemort would be able to get in, and I'm about the only person that can get in there without dying." Henry said to them, before going to the balcony and using apparition to get to the needed place.

* * *

**Less than minute later. Norfolk County.**

Henry's form reappeared in the world again, as he looked around himself, noticing that he was completely alone in the forest, lighted by the moon and stars. Dusting himself off, Henry walked towards his intended target, carefully hidden away from prying eyes, especially those of non-magical descent. It has been over three and a half years, but Henry still remembers the road, as well as remembering how he first had come to find this place.

After half an hour of walking and passing through a set of powerful wards, created to protect this place, Henry stood in front of the dome shaped hill, housing underneath the ground and dirt the family crypts of House Potter. Like many powerful and great families of the Wizarding World, House Potter was no exception to having its own crypt for their ancestors. Such places were a hallowed ground for the House's members, and it was a long standing tradition to protect and keep them hidden away from everyone outside of the family. Henry himself had found the place by a complete accident, back when he was a little kid and when Dorea and Charlus Potter were still alive.

Henry was about four when he had ran off to the forest that was near the main Potter Mansion. He could hardly remember why he had ran off like that, but what he did remember with vivid detail is when he had suddenly plummeted through the ground and fell down in to a dark and scary place. Harry didn't know it at the time, but he had accidently found himself in the House Potter's crypts, where he would stay for the better part of the day, until he would be found. Harry didn't move away from the spot on which he had landed, as it was the only place illuminated by light, and by the time the sun had started to set, his grandparents, along with uncles Michael and Gabriel, had found him. Dorea didn't let go of him for the rest of the day, well after they've left the place behind, and on the next day Dorea and Charlus had given him an earful and made him promise to never go down there. This was one of the promises that he had to break.

Stepping closer to the metal gates of the crypts, covered in ancient and powerful runes, Henry put up his hands on in the middle, letting the magic of the place to identify him. As this place was specifically designed for members of House of Potter, the magic would only allow those that were members of the said House to pass, and anyone else would be killed on the spot. And although Dorea was of House Black, she was married into the House Potter and allowed entry. But that was in the past, and now only Henry and Rose had access to the place, and any reason for visiting.

Henry knew full well that James didn't care for the crypts, nor did he care for the traditions of House Potter, or otherwise he would've buried Charlus and Dorea Potter in here, instead of a small graveyard near Godrik's Hollow. Another of the crimes that Henry will get his payment for from James, but it did insure the fact that the place would be left undisturbed. Just what he had been looking for in the place to house one of the most sought out magical artifacts in the Wizarding World.

As the magic recognized Henry as Head of House Potter, the gates opened up, allowing him passage inside. Casting _Lumos _to light up his path, Henry moved quickly and carefully through the hall, surrounded by the tombstones and statues of members of House Potter. Dozens of members, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, all of them buried here as was the tradition for hundreds of years. A tradition broke by ignorance and arrogance of a lesser man that had despised his parents so much, that he had denied them the right to lay in peace in here. After traveling for a few minutes into the bowels of the crypts, Henry came in front of the most recent sarcophagus, with a statue of a young man standing over it. On the tombstone, it could be read that this was the final resting place of Gabriel Potter, the last Potter to be buried here. Henry looked up at the stone face of the man, before speaking up.

"Thanks for looking after the Stone, Uncle Gabriel, and sorry it took me a while to get it back." Henry said, before waving his hand before the statue.

The statue of a man shook a little, before its right arm moved, straightening in front of Henry. Its palm opened up, revealing what it was holding on it: a dimly glowing crimson like blood stone, akin to a giant ruby. Henry picked it up, with the statue returning back into its original state, while Henry felt the warm feeling coursing from the Stone and into his hand.

He almost wanted to bask in it, before remembering the reason he came here and why he needed the Stone. Putting the stone into one of his coat's inner pockets, Henry nodded to the statue, before taking his leave from this place. After a few minutes of walking back, he exited the crypts and was once again on the fresh air. With one wave of the hand, the doors closed up behind him, magical sealing once more activated. After checking that the seal held firm and strong, Henry was ready to head towards the edge of the wards, when he heard the familiar voice.

"Keeping the Philosopher's Stone in the family crypts, one of the most secure and safest places one could think of, yet also one of the last that would come to mind. Now that's probably what they call a stroke of genius." Henry turned around, to see the familiar pink mop of hair of Nymphadora Tonks, standing right behind him, dressed in her coat. "Took me some thinking about it, but then I've recalled that story you told me, and then what my mom had taught me about the family mausoleums of Wizarding family. Needless to say, I put the two and two together and wouldn't you know it, I was right."

"How did you get past the wards guarding this place?" Henry asked of Nym. "They are specifically tailored to the members of House Potter, blood, adopted, or married. The only exception is for a Potter to come along with the guest, but you didn't come with any other Potters."

"I simply walked past them, no biggie." Nym shrugged. "Remember when you told me and my folks about me and my Dad's Potter heritage? Well, I've figured that it would be plenty enough to go past the ward, and it turned out it was. Looks like my great-grandma was still a Potter when she died, so… You get the point."

"I do, but what I don't get is why you are here, Nym." Henry said in a stern voice, with Nymphadora's face also turning serious. "If Rose's condition hasn't changed, and there wasn't any call from your job, why have you decided to track me down?"

"Because I felt like doing so." She honestly answered him. "Because I've felt like it was time that you and I had a little bit of talk about you and your attitude."

"We'll have plenty of time to talk after I've delivered the Stone, so until then…" Henry stepped forward, only for Nym take a stand right in front of him. "Nym, this is _really_ not the time…" He said with a bit of anger dripping out with his voice.

"Nah, that's precisely the time for us to talk, Harry. And don't try to use Rose, because her condition is stable right now, we both know of that, and once you get the Stone to Aunt Cassie, she'll fix Rose up in a jiffy." Nym told him with a serious tone of voice. "Like it or not, Harry, but we are having this talk _right now_, because it is high time that you've changed this damn attitude of yours."

"My attitude needs no adjustment, Nym." Harry protested to her. "You know what my priorities are, and you've always agreed with them, and that is true. So, are trying to tell me to become the bootlicker like I was supposed to be in Hogwarts? Is that it?"

"No, I'm not talking about that, Harry. I'm talking about that hero complex that you've seemed to have developed." Nym told him, with Harry quirking up his brow.

"Hero complex? You've got me confused with William and Dumbledore, along with Potters and their friends." Harry retorted to her. "I've got no heroic tendencies in me like those morons."

"Is that so? Well then, how about I give you a couple of examples." Nym spoke up. "Your sixth year in Hogwarts, when you found out about that Stone and who was after it, what did you do? Don't answer, I already know it: you went on ahead to confront the bad guy and kicked his bottom, _all alone_."

"And? Is that supposed to mean something?" Henry asked of her.

"You could've informed the DMLE about the situation and Bones would've handled the situation on her own terms, or you could've told Moody, my folks, Blacks, hell even me for that matter, but you didn't." Nym listed to him the possible variants. "Instead, you headed out yourself, to confront one of the most powerful dark wizards of all time, the man, who even in his wraith form, could've killed you with ease."

"But he didn't, and he was too severely weakened as a wraith possessing the body, so I had the advantage." Harry countered.

"You couldn't have known about that back then, and no one could." Nym argued back. "Voldemort had killed hundreds of wizards and witches, dozens of who had been Aurors and powerful ones at that. Your very own grandparents had died because of him. You shouldn't have gone after him alone like that, Harry."

"But I did, and it worked out in the end well enough, didn't it?" Harry said in an irate tone of voice.

"Back then, yeah, it did." Nym agreed with him. "The next time, however…"

"Before you start digging through that one, Nym, let me remind you that Rose was kidnapped by that Weasley girl, so I couldn't waste time." Harry reminded her.

"Yeah, I remember that, but also remember full well that even before she got kidnapped, you've had the whole case figured out, with solid evidence to back up your findings. You could've easily let Moody or me know about it all, and after that, the DMLE would've moved in to take care of that whole damn thing, but no… You didn't inform anyone of anything, and where did it lead you to, hm?" Nym narrowed her eyes on him, her hair turning a darker shade of purple, before becoming almost completely dark black. "You were sent to Azkaban, and Rose was left in the care of Potters."

"Had I known that it would turn out that way, do you think I would not have done something about it?" Harry asked of her in an irritated and aggravated voice. "And don't forget, Nym, the entire damn court was a sham, orchestrated to send me to Azkaban, and if I had talked agaisnt the judges, Rose would've been in that same damn dungeon as I was all those two years. So don't you peg it agaisnt me, Nym. I've done what was right at the moment."

"What was right? Harry, that is exactly what I am talking about." Nym told him. "You maybe one of the smartest people in this world, but you has got a one-track mind going for you. It makes you even predictable at times to figure out, just like this time. Do you want to know the first thing I thought about before coming here?"

"And what that thing was, exactly?" Harry asked of her.

"Where would I hide the Stone, so that only I _alone_ and _no one else_ would have access to?" Nym told him. "Emphasize on 'alone' and 'no one else', Harry. _That _is what I am talking about- you rely far too much on just yourself and don't let others in to help you."

"Perhaps in some cases, I do so, but not in…" Harry tried to argue.

"Yes in almost every goddamned situation, you do things your own damn way without anyone else there to help you!" Nym screamed at him, with tears visible near her eyes. "Harry, I know why you do it all that way, and I understand, but you also have to understand something: even if you alone get hurt, then all those that are close to you will also be hurt, and if you die…"

"That's why I don't want to die and plan in the case of possible death." Harry argued with Nym. "And besides that, if I alone have to get hurt and spare Rose and others the pain and death, then that's a fair deal in my eyes." Harry said in a strong voice to Nym, who looked at him with wide eyes…

…Before her right palm collided with a loud smack with his left cheek, as she practically roared out at him. Henry didn't expect such a reaction from Nymphadora, nor did he expect the strength of her slap to be enough to force him to take a few steps back to compose himself. But before he could fully do that, Nym went on ahead and grabbed him by his coat and brought him close to her face.

"A fair deal? A FAIR DEAL?!" Nymphadora roared at him. "Do you even hear what you are saying, you self-centered egotistical bastard!" Nym slapped him one more time, only with more force, but still keeping him close to her.

"Do you even bloody know how bad it was for us to bear, to have you sent to _die _in Azkaban?!" Nym screamed at him. "Mom cried for weeks after she heard the verdict, and Dad couldn't do jack shit about it, because he was literally shaking with anger and grief, because their _son _in all but blood was sent to Azkaban for doing the right thing! Auntie Cassie almost had a damn heart attack when she heard about you, and don't you even fucking get me started on Rose, you moron! You think that what James Potter did had almost killed her?! No! What you fucking did had nearly put her into grave, because she lost _the only_ real family she had since she could remember herself, and now she was left with the people that despised her very existence!" She slapped him again, not letting him go yet, with her tears falling down freely.

"And do you even know what it did to me, you damn egoist?!" Nym half-screamed half-wailed, crying openly now, with Harry looking at her with a mild surprise. "My best friend, my closest person, the only damn sibling after Cornie I had left, and I've lost you! Do you know just how bad I felt when I realized, that person I had come to love had gone off to Azkaban for doing something he didn't do?! I've felt life drained out of me and my heart being ripped out and crushed before my eyes! You think have the right to talk about _dying_, you bastard?! No, you fucking don't, not when all of us, when _I_ still damn well care about you and want you alive and happy!" She released him, before starting to beat him in the chest, with tears still falling down.

Henry simply stood there, not even attempting to speak up in argument, letting Nymphadora let out all of her anger, frustration and more. Her punches were painful as she put all she had welled up in her into it, but he took it, patiently waiting for them to slow down and weaken. When it happened, when Nym was finally spent of energy and emotions, she simply slammed into his chest, crying on it. Henry wrapped his arms around her gently, allowing her to let it all out. He knew that for all the snark, slyness and humor that Nymphadora liked to put up, there was a vulnerable and precious side to her, one that she rarely let out.

And as she cried on his chest and Harry held her close, he thought about what she had told him. As much as he had hated to admit it, but Nym was right about him: he really did have a one-track mind. He had always calculated and prepared for the events thinking in such a way that he alone would have to be enough to deal with whatever came after him. His self-reliance had long been instilled in him, brought up through years of living with Potters and taking care of Rose, realizing that he was alone in that house that took care of her and himself.

It was much later that he had realized and came in terms that there were others that cared about him, and those were the same people that he cared for. And because he had cared for them, seeing them as his family, Harry had become accustomed to thinking about of never endangering them, the people that took care of him and Rose. In his mind, doing something like that would be unbecoming of him, utterly degrading the gratitude he held for them, nor could he bear in mind to put his precious ones in danger because of his problem. Nor did he trust others, those that he didn't know, to help him with something serious, like with Ministry, teachers in Hogwarts and etc. He knew, or believed at least, that everyone there was corrupt or too indifferent towards his and Rose's plight and wouldn't help him out.

So he took to dealing with trouble on his own, without others, and while it may've worked out with Quirrell, it backfired when he went on to deal with Riddle. And backfire it did spectacularly… He had honestly never did think what his incarceration would do to others, not in a deep manner. All he had thought about was trying to keep Rose safe, but in the end he probably did even worse than if he had used the magical oaths. Even if everyone was out to get him then, even if Dumbledore had set his mind to see him imprisoned… Maybe it could've gone better? He didn't know, nor would he learn about it later on. All he did know now was that his decision had seen his closest people being hurt worse than he had wanted them. And Nymphadora…

Harry had small suspicions that Nym had some feelings towards him that were beyond the lines of brother and sister. He could attest to the fact that he had not much actual experience in that field, even though he had dated a girl from Slytherin back when he was in school, but it didn't go too well with them back then. He had always seen Nym as the dear and close friend, another sister, one that he would do anything for, but as someone other than that, someone to love... She was one wonderful young woman, not only because of her looks and Metamorphing abilities, but as a person she was loyal, serious and fun at the same time, as well as loving and caring. He had always enjoyed her company, and their joking flirting with each other, though now he didn't see it that way anymore. She knew who he was and what he was about, as did he with her, and yet she said that she loved him…

Harry held Nym close to himself, hugging her and letting her calm down. Gently rubbing her back, Harry let Nym take her time, as she recomposed herself. Once she stopped crying, she looked up at him with her red eyes, looking in Harry's soft green ones, to hear him speak to her.

"I'm sorry, Nymphadora." He simply said to her, holding her to himself, with Nym hugging him back, resting her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"Promise me." She spoke up, in a quiet voice. "Promise me, that no matter what you are dealing with, whatever the hell you are facing… Promise me that if something happens, you call us to help you."

"Nym, I…" Harry wanted to speak up, but he was interrupted by her.

"Promise me!" She said with more strength, before sobbing a little more. "I can't stand it, Harry. Not being able to be there for you, help you… Don't do this to me, to all of us, to Rose. Promise me that you won't be like that anymore." The tone of her voice meant that she was serious about what she had said.

"I promise, Nym." Harry said to her softly, with Nym looking up to him. "I won't leave you out, and I won't push you away. Not anymore."

"Good." She nodded to him gently, before putting her hand behind his head. "Thank you." She said to him, before leaning in to capture his lips with hers, while gently pushing him towards herself.

Harry knew that Nym could be an unpredictable person at times, but he didn't expect to find himself kissing her, ever. Yet, this kiss, it felt not just natural or nice, but it felt right. The two had closed their eyes and enjoyed the moment, with Nym's grip tightening a little bit, not letting Harry to even dare to pull away. Not that he had wanted to do so, as he himself held the beautiful daughter of Andromeda Tonks close to him. Her kiss was sweet and soft, with a tint of salt from tears mixed in, showing her true emotions, and he practically relished in it. And standing right next to her, holding her and kissing her like this… It all felt so right and perfect that he wouldn't trade this feeling for anything else.

Nymphadora's logical side told her that what she was doing wasn't right, yet, but her heart and soul relished the chance to let out what was welled up inside of her for years, not to mention to experience what she had wanted for years- to be able to kiss the man she fell for.

Of course she had known of their relation to each other in blood department, as well as about the mental and spiritual connections and borders that they've built with each other. For a long time, it was enough for Nym, but then in one moment, when she was by herself and after yet another failed attempt at getting herself a proper person to date, she realized that she didn't want someone for whom she'd have to adjust. No, she wanted, _needed_ someone that would see her as she was, the _real_ her, and would love her for it.

She had always been adjusting up to someone's standards, be that for work, or in Hogwarts to be like others, and she had honestly gotten so damn irritated by it, that she simply couldn't take it. But with Harry… She never had to morph up into anything or anybody for him to like her. She simply had to be herself, and that was more than enough for him. She was at ease with him, having the warm feeling of acceptance and the freeing sense of not putting up a mask, because she knew she didn't have to.

With him, Nymphadora didn't hate it when she was called by her full name, one that had so abused by students in Hogwarts as an object of joking, that she stopped even using it. But when Harry spoke that name to her, he made it sound like it was a beautiful and nice thing, and he later said that it was very beautiful name, no matter what others said. He made Nym feel beautiful, pretty and all around attractive not because of her Metamorphing abilities, but because she had all those qualities without the changeling abilities. Even though he had made her feel that way only as a friend at time, she began to want him to appreciate her this way as someone who would be more than a friend. She had even wanted to make the first step after he had graduated Hogwarts, but she was too late then.

Now, however, after finally getting him back and telling what she just told him, she wouldn't dare to let him go, nor would she allow him to act as he did before. No, Nymphadora Tonks was of House Black, and Black women _never _let go of those they love without a fight to the death. And Harry was her love, and screw those that would tell her otherwise. They may've had some blood relation in them, but nothing like many other wizarding families, so she knew that they were safe in the children's department. Unlike with non-magicals, Wizards and Witches only had to watch out, in terms of coupling and child conception, for the direct siblings, first and second cousins, and even then there were far less of a chance of deformities than with non-magical people, thanks to magic. Sure, the chance of Squibs being born was higher than with other cases, but it was still otherwise small in relativity.

And even then, Nymphadora knew now that Harry was of Le Fay blood now, so everything was safe with them. Although she knew that she would have to make room for three more possible wives, she was somewhat okay with that. She would, of course, make sure that any damn selfish, self-centered hussy that tries to put her claws on him knows that she's messing with the wrong Prince, but if those girls or women that do end up as her sister-wives care for Harry as much as she does, and keep him safe… She might be okay with them.

One thing was for certain to Nymphadora and Harry- neither had wanted to let go of one another, nor would they.

* * *

**Several hours later. Albion's Hearth.**

After spending an untold amount of time together, Harry and Nymphadora had parted from each other. Although they barely said each other a word, they both knew that things between them wouldn't be the same and they didn't want them to return to what they were before. Holding each other close, they exited the territory and apparated back to Albion's Hearth together. Harry handed down the Stone to astonished Cassiopeia, asking her to make best use of it, to which she replied that she would milk that Stone dry if need be.

It took the experienced Alchemist several tries to get the formula right for the Elixir of Life, but she had managed to produce it in the right consistency and strength, just as Nicholas Flammel had made it. When Cassiopeia had said that she had figured out the way to create the Elixir, she only meant the basics of it, not the finer details, as those were kept secret by Flammel. However, Cassiopeia Black wouldn't be herself if she hadn't cracked the formula quickly, and that she did after hours of trial and failure. Once the Elixir was ready and tested, she headed towards Rose to use it on her. And so, with Nymphadora at his side, Harry sat and waited for the positive response, while Irene, Regulus and Arcturus stood aside in their own thoughts. Nym spoke up softly, holding Harry's hand in her own.

"She'll be alright." She said to him in a quiet voice. "Auntie Cassie is a Black witch, and we ain't the type to give up on what we set out to accomplish."

"I know." Harry said to her, giving Nym a small smile. "Just as I know that I'm now stuck with you for keeps."

"Like that is a bad thing, love." She chuckled a little to him, leaning against his shoulder. "I've waited two years for this, so you damn well know I'm not letting you go, ever. Even if I'll be having competition pretty soon, I bet."

"I wouldn't want you or anyone else to make it into a competition of any kind and sort." Harry admitted to her.

"Just a form of phrasing. Plus, I might even be interested in this shared marriage thingy, especially if you get some spicy ladies on board." She half-jokingly said to him, with Harry looking at her with a mild surprise. "What? I know the rules and needs of your Lordships, Harry, so I know that I have to make do with them. And if I'm to make do, who says I can't also get the goods out of it like you do? But don't you worry, darling," She leaned in closer to his ear to whisper. "I'm saving up myself only for you, so when it is time, you'll be the first to take me." She gave him a kiss on his cheek, before Cassiopeia opened up the door and stepped out, wiping out her sweat.

"It worked." Everyone in the room let out a massive sigh of relief at hearing it. "The Elixir had completely repaired her damaged flesh and skin, with gangrene being terminated and replaced by the fresh muscles and tissues. Her immune system is recovering at a rapid pace, so it's burning up quite a bit of energy, which is why I had to put her under high nutrition potions through a needle and tube, like with you, Harry. But overall, aside from her left arm being lost, Rose will make full recovery in two days, tops, and as for her lost arm… Irene and I have an idea about that, which we'll want to discuss with you later, Harry."

"But overall, Rose is safe and nothing's threatening her life anymore, right?" Regulus asked of Cassiopeia, who nodded to him. "Good, that means we can focus up our attention on the matters at hand. Like I've told you earlier, I've had a hunch about one of the Horcruxes, and I think we might be able to get one, but it would be good if you, Harry, could check with in with Gringotts, regarding the properties of Gaunt family."

"You suspect that Voldy might've hid one where that family lived?" Nym asked of him, with Regulus nodding to him. "Might be worth a shot, but if he did so, I'd bet every Galleon I earn on my job, that he had warded and protected the place with every dark curse and spell he could think of. Best not to go there alone, or in pair…" She looked with narrowed eyes at Harry.

"And we won't." Harry said to her and everyone.

"You do still have the Acromantula problem to deal with, milord, and do remember that you've made an oath to Crawley about not employing me in any manner." Irene reminded them all. "And if I'm not mistaken, there will be thousands of giant, fairly intelligent and cunning spiders, with one of the most deadly poisons at their disposal and an advantage of home territory. Oh, and I've almost forgotten, that the envoy from Dryads had made it clear, that the forest itself better not be harmed in any way possible. I believe that abiding by this condition may earn you the respect, if not loyalty, of the Dryads, as well as their allies.

"He may've made the vow, but was there a word about me, Red?" Nym asked with a sly smile, with Irene giving away a small smile of her own. "Don't worry, Red, our Prince Le Fay is in good hands, and he's got plenty of people to call upon for help in this matter. Don't you, love?"

"That I do." Harry agreed, with Nym letting her hand go of him, as he stood up and came close to Cassiopeia. "How is she right now, Auntie?"

"Stable and conscious, Harry, and I think she might want to talk to you. Take your time." She said to him with a smile, letting him go to Rose while she went with Irene to discuss their idea.

Harry glanced back to Nymphadora, who simply smiled to him and nodded him to go, while she still sat there. Harry smiled to her back and nodded, before heading to his sister. Stepping into the spacious and richly decorated room, Harry made his way to Rose, who laid on the bed, with her right arm being connected to the potion through a tube, while her left arm was completely missing, without even a stump on its place. She was awake, as Cassiopeia had told him, as she looked up with a healthy and avid look at her brother, with Henry smiling to her and speaking up.

"Hey." Harry spoke up, coming to her right side. "How are you feeling?"

"Hey yourself, I deserve at least hello." She replied in a joking manner, with him and Rose chuckling a little. "I feel fine, better than fine, really. Although…" She took a glance at where her left arm once was, before replying. "I know that it was killing me and it had to removed, but still… It feels weird, not having an arm, yet also feeling it like it's still here."

"Phantom pains, your nerves are just adjusting to your changed constitution. You'll not even notice when they go away." Harry said to her in a reassuring manner, gently taking her hand into his. "The important thing is that you are safe and okay now, sis. And as for your arm, Aunt Cassie already has ideas in mind, especially with the Philosopher's Stone that she now has."

"You owe me a big one for not telling me about it." Rose replied to him with a chuckle, before turning serious. "Harry, if Lupin saw me, then the Potters and the Order already know about me. And if they do, they won't let it slide. They'll try and come after me, and you."

"They can try all they want." Harry replied to her. "The only things they'll get from it are their own limbs, removed from them. Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, I had suspected that sooner or later they would catch the whiff of you. Which is why I wanted to ask you, if you'd consider being adopted into the House Le Fay, as my sister and Heiress, until I acquire the latter, that is."

"Mm, and the lipstick on your upper lip tells me that you are well on your way with that acquirement." Rose shot her brother a sly look, almost laughing when he put a hand to his lip. "Dummy, Nym doesn't use any lipstick. Can't believe you've fell for that one."

"How… How did you…" Harry was almost at a loss of words.

"I'm your sister, Harry, so it's my job to know everything about you, and to take care about your sorry butt." Rose chuckled again, with Harry doing the same. "I've seen the looks she's been sending you, and I know Nym well enough to understand what she wants, or whom. I'm just happy that she took the step in the right direction, finally."

"So, she's got your seal of approval then?" Harry jokingly asked of her.

"Tell her that if she was looking for one, I can literally put it on her butt." Rose laughed at that one. "I was starting to get tired about you two joking and flirting all like that, and not getting into any real action. Now at least I know that you are in good and capable hands."

"That's not exactly what a soon-to-be 15-year old should think about. Maybe you've been spending too much time with Aunt Cassiopeia." Harry noted out, with Rose rolling her eyes.

"Like you know what girls my age think about, Mr. Magnet for trouble." Rose retorted.

"I might, considering what Tracey has been telling me back in Hogwarts." Harry responded back with a smile, while Rose shook her head.

"Free word of advice, brother: don't mention your past escapades to Nymphadora, especially if she doesn't know about them." Rose said in a serious manner. "Black Family witches and mentioning of your past exes mixes up like gunpowder and dragon fire."

"She knows, but I'll keep it in mind, oh great Master of love." Harry jokingly bowed before her, with Rose simply shaking her head. "Now, aside from my personal life, the proposal I just made…"

"Hey, if it allows me to keep you on a tight leash and away from doing your stupid heroic stunts, I'm all in." Rose said to him.

"You too, huh? Nymphadora just gave me a dressing down about my supposed heroic complex, not you too." Harry informed Rose. "And with that in mind… I'm sorry, Rose, about how I've hurt you with my decision. I should've fought harder and not listened to James, and then…"

"Harry, it's alright." Rose said to him softly. "The bastard has always known how to push all our buttons. I'm just glad that you are out Azkaban and that we are together as a family, just like we've always been."

"Yeah, just like we've always been." Harry agreed with her, smiling to her.

* * *

**Hogwarts. Same time.**

Remus Lupin hissed from pain, as the nurse applied the painkilling charm on his stump of the right arm. The werewolf had always believed that he had a touch skin, one that had nulled the senses of pain, one of the few gifts from his curse. That had always been the case in the past, which had allowed him to simply tank the small curses and spells like nothing, but what Prince Le Fay did to him… He had always believed that there were only two true monsters of magic, so to speak. And those two in his mind were Dumbledore, the Leader of Light, and Voldemort, The Dark Lord.

Now, however, Lupin had to add to those two another one, Henry Arthur Le Fay, Prince Le Fay and Lord Slytherin. An absolute unknown, somebody who had just up and appeared out of the blue, and has already shaken the entire Wizarding World, literally and figuratively. He, as well as the rest of the Order was still at Grimmauld Place when they've felt that magical echo, coming from the activation of Le Fay lands magic. Dumbledore was quick to deduce what had really happened, and was all prepared to dispatch every able member to investigate it, when an owl from Crawley came, offering some answers.

When it became clear that the Le Fay Family magic was reactivated again, it meant that a new member of House Le Fay had appeared, and was now in the crucial position for all sides' position. He had heard tales about the might and power of House Le Fay, as well as the fact of them commanding the loyalty and armies of all magical races on their lands. Had Prince Le Fay wanted to, he could turn that great force against the forces of Light and crush them with Ministry, or he could aid them in destruction of Voldemort, helping Will Potter fulfill his destiny.

Because of that all, Dumbledore had immediately dispatched Remus to Crawley, as the latter had asked of him to come and join him for his visit. Headmaster needed to know _everything _about this new player on the chess board that he and Voldemort were playing. Remus had wanted to get close and diplomatic with Prince Le Fay, but was met with literal animosity from Prince and other envoys, who had distrusted both him and Dumbledore. How could those morons not understand that without Dumbledore and the Order, they would've been long servants to the Dark Lord, was beyond him, but the fact remained the fact, and he was kicked out of the meeting, only for him to pick up with his wolf-like senses a familiar scent.

The scent that belonged to Rose Potter thought to be dead daughter of James and Lily. Realizing the golden opportunity at the fact that she was here and could possibly know a lot about Prince Le Fay, he had tried to capture her, through his act of being concerned for her. In all honesty, he had known about what James and Lily had done to her, but he didn't bring himself to pity her, nor did he hold any sympathy for her, especially since she was so close to Harry. Remus himself had suspected the girl to have long turned dark, like her brother, and after having seen firsthand what Death Eaters have done with innocents, he had developed a policy of dealing with those of dark: dispatching of them quickly and mercilessly. In the eyes of unwilling werewolf, anyone who was dark and considered dark, for good reason in his eyes, was already marked for extermination.

Yet his efforts were thwarted by Prince Le Fay, and he had bestowed upon him the same punishment as James did on his daughter, along with passing the message of him knowing _everything _that the Potters have done to her. If Le Fay was truthful, something that Remus had no doubts, then he could easily destroy not just the Order, but also him, his friends and Potters, which couldn't be allowed.

Speaking of his friends, Remus saw how the doors of hospital opened up, with the rest of Marauders, Lily, Snape and Dumbledore entering in. Poppy Pomfrey decided to withdraw for the time, knowing when it wasn't her time to listen. Almost all those that arrived looked shocked at the werewolf, with Dumbledore speaking in usual, calming manner.

"Remus, my boy, what has happened to you?" Headmaster had asked of him. "Did the Death Eaters use that meeting as set up to lure us into a trap? Or was it the Prince Le Fay's doing?"

"The latter, Headmaster." Remus hissed out of pain, coming from his severed arm. "Bloody hell, that bastard's not only a Prince, but a damn powerful one at that. He managed to lift me off the ground and pin against the wall without breaking a sweat, and that's without the usage of wand. And when he whipped that out… He used the Dead Flesh curse on me, Headmaster, as a sort of punishment for snooping around."

"Well, you should've been far more discreet, Lupin, otherwise you wouldn't have lost your arm." Snape dryly admitted, getting glared by Sirius and James. "Also, snooping around in the other's courtyard? How canine of you, our dear unwilling victim of lycanthropy. One would think that being in civilized society would've curbed down your more primal instincts, but alas…"

"Severus, this is not the time for your poor jabs." Dumbledore admonishingly told him, before turning to Remus. "While I can't say that I'm proud of your action, my boy, it was for the Greater Good, and that is all that matters. Now, what else can tell us about the Prince Le Fay? Is he somehow connected to Death Eaters and Voldemort?"

"No, I-I don't know, but he is powerful, like _really_ powerful. I've nearly shuddered from his power alone." Remus responded. "He is young, but educated and knows diplomacy with politics, since he had managed to turn all of those envoys and even that damn fool Crawley against me on a whiff. Quite tall and well built, with silver hair that reaches to his shoulders, and green, like grass, eyes. He looks a lot like Arthur Pendragon from those history books you have in library, but that's not even the worst of it, sir. He also claims to be the current Lord Slytherin." Everyone widened their eyes after hearing that.

"That's bull! That arrogant snotshot was probably pulling your leg there, Moony." James spoke up in disbelief, still reeling after the beat down that Regulus had given him. "Everyone knows that the last one to claim that title was and is You-Know-Who, and from you told us, he doesn't look the part."

"It could've been a ploy by him." Lily spoke up. "Think about it, if he truly is Lord Slytherin, and we know who the only one who has those connections is, then they would have to be one and the same. And from what I have read about the past and extinct Houses, House Le Fay had actually continued House Slytherin when the male line of the latter went extinct. That would mean that You-Know-Who could've been an Heir Claimant to House Le Fay, and may've even claimed it."

"Yeah, she's got the point there." Sirius agreed with her, after a little bit of thinking. "With the Lordship of Le Fay safe in his hands, He'd have the ability to muster up the biggest army the Wizarding Britain had seen since the times of Merlin and Morgana. We could have the war on our hands that would the previous one look like squabble between two bands of hooligans. And look what he has done to Mooney?! No, it _must _be Him, no other!"

"A fine idea, Lily, but there is some flawing in your reasoning about it." Snape spoke up, drawing the attention back to him. "First of all, to claim both of the Lordships, The Dark Lord would have to have made his way to Gringotts Bank to conform it all, and the Goblins hold the Dark Lord in great deal of contempt, so he wouldn't have been allowed passage. Secondly, he has a meeting with his inner circle today and as we speak, so I doubt he could've been able to be in literally two places at ones, even with his capabilities. Thirdly, the Dark Lord has hardly ever even made a mention of House Le Fay or of its power, as I recall, and he has never been shy from reminding us all of his powers and heritage. Fourthly…"

"Yes, Severus, thank you for pointing it out." Dumbledore interrupted him. "Your reasoning is sound, Severus, but our Lily dear also has made valid point, in my eyes. Tom has always been one to not show all of his abilities out in the open and always have more than one secret from everyone, even from his closest advisors. He has delved into the darkest arts imaginable, and who knows, he may very well have found the way to be in two places at ones and is now making strides to claim an army capable of destroying the forces of good."

"Headmaster, you don't actually think that…" James spoke up in disbelief, as even he had hard time believing Lily's proposition.

"Or, this Prince Le Fay may very well be one of the descendants of Salazar and Morgana from other lines. He could very well be a distant cousin of our dear Lily here, from House Stewart, as they have confirmed to be descendants of House Slytherin, and from it, House Le Fay, as we all have established that Slytherin's male line had ended." Dumbledore spoke up again, giving another theory to their new mystery. "Or, it could be a descendant of the squib line of House Gaunt, as the squibs born in House Gaunt were either murdered or exiled and erased from their archives. Or, perhaps, it may very well be even a son, or a grandson, of Tom Riddle, who had claimed his inheritance from his father. Or, it may be someone else entirely. Unfortunately, there are far too many unknown things to make any sound conclusions for now. We will have to wait until he makes his public appearance and then draw out conclusions, and I am certain that he will appear on the upcoming session of Wizengamot on our dear William's birthday. Only after that will we be able to understand, whether he is Voldemort's ally, or he could be the force for the Greater Good."

"Professor, you can't be serious. He had taken out Mooney's right arm, for crying out! He is definitely evil!" James cried out.

"What has happened with Mr. Lupin here is tragic, but we must make sure to look past petty squabbles and misdeeds and make room for forgiveness, James, my boy." Dumbledore spoke in his grandfatherly way to him. "Remus has made a mistake, and may've caused Prince Le Fay to act agaisnt his better judgment. If we extend an olive branch to him, we may yet find ourselves someone who could help William fulfill his destiny. Otherwise… We may not be able to handle _two _Dark Lords at the same time, but if they were to fight against each other."

"They would definitely exhaust themselves." Snape finished for Dumbledore, with the latter nodding to him.

"They very well may do so. All this bears good food for thinking. Severus, please return to Voldemort and learn what you can about Prince Le Fay. Tell him that we know nothing of him, but are aware of him." Dumbledore ordered him, with Severus leaving the hospital behind. "I shall be in my office and try to solve this mystery with our additional friends and helps. Please get well soon, Remus, my boy." Dumbledore bid his farewell and left the hospital too, with Marauders and Lily being the only ones there now.

"James, Lily, Sirius, there is something… Something you guys should know about." Remus spoke up, once he knew that they were all safe. "Back when I was kicked out of the meeting, I was on my way out of the castle's grounds, when I've picked up on something. A scent of someone I knew…"

"Someone's scent?" Sirius asked of his friend again. "Did Prince Le Fay have a guest that we know of? And why didn't you tell Dumbledore about it?"

"Because Dumbledore must not know about it, Padfoot, and you'll know once you hear of whom I'm talking about." Remus almost barked at his friend, still reeling with pain. "It was the scent… The scent of Rose."

"Rose? As in…" James and Lily both exchanged looks, as they paled at the thought.

"Yes, Rose, as in your daughter…" Remus hissed from pain as it shot through his body from his stump. "Damn it! Hurts like hell… It's because of her… Prince Le Fay did this to me… When I tried to get her, but she had knocked me off herself. And the next… The next thing I know, Prince Le Fay is pinning me against the wall, all ready to kill me, and only… Only the presence of envoys stopped him."

"Rose is alive?!" Lily asked in a shocked voice. "How could that damned girl have survived? She was on death's doorsteps, and we know that Peter had gotten to her. How could she be even alive after what had happened to her, and who could've even helped her…"

"The Blacks." Sirius interrupted her, drawing the attention to him. "The only ones who would ever even think about helping that little dark wench is my cursed family. I'll bet that it was probably Aunt Cassiopeia that had helped her, she's the only one with both knowledge and resources to fix her up in any way."

"She, just like my mother, had always had the soft spot for her and Harry, just like all dark wizards do for each other." James spat out, before paling a little bit more. "Wait… If she was with Prince Le Fay, then wouldn't that mean that he and House Black are allies? And worse that…"

"James, he asked… Le Fay asked me to give you a message…" Remus hissed out of him. "He said that he knows… Knows _everything_… Everything that had happened to Rose, and… He's making her his Heiress and sister, another Le Fay…"

"He what?!" Lily practically screamed out. "That damned girl has the gall to fraternize with House Potter's enemies like that?! Of course she is evil and she had deserved what she had gotten, especially after we've gave her such a good opportunity to help Will and she blew it… Remus, just how much _does_ that Le Fay person know."

"Lily… The curse he used… It was the same one…" Remus panted out of him, with James and Lily paling when they heard it. "_Caro Mortui_… And he wanted you to know… That everyone that had… Hurt her… Will suffer, like Rose had suffered… H-He's after you, James, Lily, a-and h-he knows the truth."

If this was true, then the man now known as Prince Le Fay very well held in his possession enough evidence to destroy them all.

This was the thought of all four of them in the hospital.

* * *

**Phew, another long and good one, I believe. As we can see, the crisis has been averted and Rose is safe and sound. And this one of those times when I believe that things are self-explanatory.**

**However, if you feel like asking question, you all know the drill by now.**

**Next time: Taking care of Acromantula; First oats of loyalty.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Twenty meters north east of Forbidden Forest. Four days after the incident.**

Even though it was summer and it was a sunny day, strong winds reminded Henry, Regulus, Cassiopeia and Neriada about the fact that they were in Scottish highlands, standing literally twenty meters away from the Forbidden Forest. The trio was dressed in relatively warm clothing, with Henry now settling in a black coat with blue embroidery on it, while Regulus and Cassiopeia opted for the black coats as well. Neriada was dressed in what could only be described as Dryad's combat armor, made of furs and even plant life, as she gazed at the forest. They've arrived on the place of meeting and now waited for the others to arrive, and to begin the job they've agreed to do.

For the last four days since Rose had been cured and now was back on her feet, looking healthier and even happier than ever, Harry hasn't been sitting doing nothing. He had taken the full advantage of Le Fay's library and searched through it all for an effective way to get rid of the Acromantula. Since his days in Hogwarts, when he had actually hunted those spiders for their poison, Harry knew full well that those creatures were not just nasty, but also really hard to deal with. A single Acromantula was not so much a threat to a trained and strong Wizard or Witch, easily killed with an _Avada Kedavra_ or any other possible spell. The problem was the fact that Acromantula _never _attacked alone, always hunting in packs of dozens creatures of varying sizes, all of which are used for a purpose, like the bees in the hive.

Smallest spiders, those that just hatched out, were used for recon and finding a prey, which would allow their older siblings to strike out and grab it. After that, they would be dragged back to the main lair, to be presented to the females, so that they could devour it for nourishment and the future litters of spiders. The Acromantulas were predominantly ruled by their females, the strongest and biggest arachnids, as well as possibly the smartest. They were far fewer than their male counterparts, usually on one female there were up to 50 male Acromantulas, and with the colony in Forbidden Forest reaching upwards of thousands, if not tens of thousands of spiders, this meant that there were many females.

And all of them were also siblings with each other, as from what Henry knew from Hagrid, those damn spiders appeared there only from two Acromantulas, the giant's friend Aragog and his mate. A surprising trait that those creatures had was the fact that inbreeding was nothing new or bad for them, hell, it had allowed those damn creatures to multiply faster than Catholic rabbits. This factor, the numbers and rate of growth of the colony, was the most crucial to consider in Henry's plan to deal with Acromantula. He knew that the traditional methods of dealing with dangerous creatures would be ineffective against them, so he had to think outside the box to find a way to eradicate those beasts in one fell swoop.

Fortunately for Harry, his sister had given him just the right idea on how to deal with them. After doing some researching and consulting with Neriada, who had wanted to come along with them, Henry determined the best way of dealing with the Acromantula problem. Harry had told about his decision to Nym, who had decided that it would be best if this time Harry had as much support as he could muster, and so she left to get that support. And so the group stood here and waited for Nym to come to their position.

"Wish Nymphadora would hurry already." Cassiopeia spoke up, kicking out of her way a small rock. "The longer we stay, the better are the chances that Dumbledore may pick up on us through the Hogwarts' wards."

"We are a good mile away from the wards, and I've taken precautions and set up a small glamour and anti-detection ward." Henry spoke back to Cassiopeia. "Dumbledore won't find out about us, and the wards don't work properly on a full area of the Forest, otherwise there wouldn't have been so many missing students, if the wards could pinpoint their location to the Headmaster. No, the Forest itself is magical, and is somehow capable of disrupting any other magic working near or within it. At least, that's what I think."

"Your theory is not too far off, Prince Le Fay." Neriada broke her silence, but not her gaze over the Forest. "My mother had told me about the ancient and powerful magic that resides in there, one that had helped shape and birth it, as well as strengthen my people. My people had lived in a symbiosis with this land, as we tended to it, helped it grow strong and healthy, as well as defended it, while the Forest protected us and helped my people through its magic, ensuring that our mothers, sisters and daughters would be born strong, healthy, and in greater number to take care of it. When we were exiled, many of Mother's sisters and their daughters have perished because of the link to the Forest being severed too violently, and only those in the forests of House Le Fay had saved my kin, as we have settled here many ages before."

"Your mother was born in that Forest? No offence, but she must be quite ancient, considering that you were exiled a long time ago." Regulus noted out, with Neriada turning to him with an impassive look. "I did not mean any offence, just…"

"No, I understand, and you are correct, my mother was born in this forest, but left when House Le Fay was still strong and alive." Neriada spoke in a calm and reserved manner, before turning her gaze to Prince Le Fay. "She had played a crucial part in ensuring that Dryads would have a place in in your forests, ensuring the loyalty of her kin to House Le Fay, and of House Le Fay to Dryads. As a Queen, it was the duty that she had performed, and soon after, I came to life in the forests of House Le Fay, though my mother was the Dryad of Hogwarts. I was the first Dryad born in the lands of Le Fay, a symbol of my kin's new beginning."

"But… That would mean that you are at least 700 years old…" Harry spoke up in disbelief. "I heard that there are magical beings with a great lifespan, but you look like you are in your mid-twenties, by human standards."

"Prince Le Fay, the standards of Humans don't apply well with my kin, but I think I'll take that as a compliment." Neriada gave away the smallest of smirks to Prince Le Fay. "My people can live as long as the forests themselves, the process of aging is different for us from yours. My mother was over a thousand years old when she gave birth to me, and before me, she had seven more daughters, my older sisters that have come with her to my lands. I am her last and youngest child, and now… I am her only child left, and soon… I may be a daughter that mourns the passing of her Mother." Neriada said in a sad and sorrowful way, turning back to the forest.

"I am very sorry to hear that, Neriada." Harry said to her sincerely. "If there is any way we can help her…"

"You can help her, me and my kin by finally putting those damn beasts to death." Neriada said with anger in her voice. "My people, my kin have lost many daughters, mothers and sisters to those creatures, but not all were gutted by their stingers and eaten away. My people are strongly connected in magic with nature, but also to our family, to our mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters and granddaughters. We can feel when one of our family dies, the backlash and pain… It can be unbearable to withstand, and four out of seven of my sisters have withered away when they felt their daughters and granddaughters dying."

"Withered away?" Regulus asked of Neriada, but it was Cassiopeia that had answered.

"Like our naturalistic companion had stated earlier, Dryads don't exactly age as we humans do. I've heard about Dryads as old as three thousand years, and still alive and fertile." Cassiopeia spoke up. "However, they can die of a natural cause, which is called Withering. Like an old tree, a Dryad can wither away at her own volition, or from the lack of sustenance."

"Yes, and my sisters, those that had felt the deaths of their family, they chose to wither away before it was their time." Neriada said in low and saddened tone. "Their deaths had all been felt by me as well, and our mother, our Queen. She is not long for this world and she is already withering away, as she wasn't capable of living on without them, without her daughters and granddaughters. The only reason I have not yielded to the Withering, is because I swore on the blood of my sisters and my nieces, that I'll make those creatures pay for every death they had made me live through." Neriada's anger showed through, as the trio of magical users felt the ground shake up a little.

"Wow, and I thought that you didn't have it in you, Neri." The entire group turned their gaze towards the new voice, which belonged to Skadhi, Queen of the Jotanns, who now made her way to them, dressed in what could only be described as a female military uniform. "I was all sure that Morenna had plucked away all your thorns, but I guess I was wrong. Nice to know that you still have it in you."

"Skadhi…" Neriada narrowed her eyes slightly at the grinning Jotann. "Nothing ever escapes the Queen of Winter, especially when it concerns a long, bloody and brutal battle, right?"

"Indeed, and I am honestly hurt that you haven't even given me a heads up, Prince Le Fay." Skadhi turned to Henry with a bit of a sultry smile. "Deciding to invite little Neri here, but not me? I might take that as an insult, Your Highness. I am sure you are aware that I am a _very _proficient warrior, and I would've been of much assistance, if you've asked me nicely."

"Apologies for not considering that, Lady Skadhi." Harry spoke up. "Neriada had offered to come along after I've consulted her on the matter. I wasn't sure if you would agree, though."

"And even if she did, she has a tendency to cause far more trouble and damage than doing her job well. The woman's only interests are battles and rush of adrenalin through her veins." Neriada said dryly, with Skadhi simply sending her one of her own smirks.

"And what's wrong with that, Neri? I've never hid it away that I liked a good battle, and this one looks up to be the better one than all the others I had in the past few years or so." Skadhi said, before letting out a theatrical sigh. "But, if it will ease your mind, I give you my word to be mindful of the trees around, but I give no promises about the grass and bushes though. Is that enough to ease your mind, Neri?"

"Sufficient enough, considering that it's the most one can ask from someone like you, Skadhi." Neriada said to her, before turning to Henry, who looked back at her. "Do remember that my kin wishes the Forest to remain intact. As ill and unwell as it is, it is still a sacred ground for us, a place of my kin's birth on this island."

"I remember that, Neriada." The Dryad nodded to him, before turning back to the forest, while Harry looked at Skadhi. "You didn't look too interested in venturing out here when Crawley made me swear a vow. And how did you find me, while we are on the topic?"

"I know how to keep my more… pronounced instincts from showing, but I was interested from the second I heard about it. As for that little vow, you may've said it, but the vow only meant your pretty redheaded Devil, but said nothing about the others. And your sweet little sister knows it." Skadhi said, as she moved closer to Henry, accessing him with blue eyes, before a smiled crept up on her lips. "Mm, you are in quite a good shape for a Wizard and the amount of power coming from you… No wonder that little Veela girl that came with Victoria had left your mansion all hot and bothered after that small display of power with that mutt. I would enjoy through a few rounds with you, after this little show is over." Skadhi licked her upper lip in anticipation.

"You make it hard to distinguish, if you are flirting with me, or simply want to fight me." Harry admitted to Skadhi, who let out a small chuckle.

"Usually, it's just the latter, but with someone like you…" Skadhi gave him one more look, before moving a little closer, and whispering to him. "I might mean both, but if you impress me today, I may simply skip those two and get to more… interesting and primal activities." Skadhi pulled away from him with a wink, with Henry deciding to stretch his legs a little bit, before coming close to Neriada.

"Skadhi has taken a great deal of interest in you, Prince Le Fay, and not just as a suitable sparring partner." Neriada told him of her observations, with Henry looking at her with an interest. "Not surprising, considering that it is prime time she had settled down and that you happen to answer most of her demands for a man, not to mention being quite gifted in magical powers."

"Pardon?" Harry asked her, with Neriada deciding to elaborate.

"From what I've learned, Jotanns' complete maturity comes when they find a mate and settle down with him. She is currently in her latest stages of youth, when she is the brashest, headstrong and so on, as you can see. When the time comes, Jotanns start to look for a partner, and I believe that she has already picked you as her mate." Neriada simply stated to him, with Henry glancing at Skadhi, who simply observed him with a small predatory smile. "Jotanns lay only with their chosen mates, no one else, though each Jotann chooses their mate based on their own criteria. Some prefer magicals, others don't, some like timid, others like bold and so on. Skadhi seems to have set her eye on you for good."

"As in, an already determined mate?" Henry asked of Neriada, who nodded to him. "Doesn't it bother her that this is only the second time we've met?"

"No, nor would it bother any other Jotanns, if they've had set their eyes on you." Neriada answered to him. "Once they find their mate, they become attracted to them on both physical and spiritual level, from what I understand. It has something to do with their magic, but I can't be too sure. In that regard, they are similar to my people."

"Similar to your people?"

"Dryads are all women, no? And to procreate, we need a partner, and we mate with humans, either non-magicals or Wizards." Neriada calmly stated, with Henry quirking up a brow. "All children born from Dryads are always Dryads, as with Sylphs and Nymphs. Aside from a few special cases, Dryads do not form any bonds with the fathers of their daughters. We simply lay with them, erase their memory, and carry the children."

"And what are these special cases?" Henry was curious, with Neriada looking at him with an interest.

"This is a very rare practice, but there are times when a Dryad remains connected with the father of her child. Even though a Dryad's loyalty first to her people and daughter she carries, she remains loyal to her chosen partner, and will even be with him to a certain extent, even allow him to see their child, but not influence her upbringing in a wrong way." Neriada explained to Henry, who nodded to her. "Your people would call such connection a marriage, but it happens very rarely and most of Dryads do not engage in such connection, due to the fact that the Dryad also becomes attached to her mate, in much the same way as with the rest of her family. And since Dryads live far longer than men, be they Wizards or not, once their partner passes away, the Dryad feels how her love leaves her. Very few of my kin had remained strong enough not to wither away after feeling such a loss."

"I see." Harry nodded to her, until he heard a distinct sound of apparition happening close to them, causing him to turn his head towards the source of it.

Just a few meters away from them, Harry saw how his now lover Nymphadora appeared, followed closely by her former mentor, now turned trainer of the Aurors, Alastor Moody, and behind him were following Andromeda and Edward "Ted" Tonks. Harry smiled to them, and went on ahead to them, closely followed by Regulus and Cassiopeia. Once he came up close, Nym came to him and hugged him, before pulling back and speaking up.

"Sorry if we are a little late. Ol' grumpy here had to change oil in his leg." Nym smirked as Alastor grumbled about ungrateful students, though Nym continued. "Also, I've had a word with Bonesy about this whole operation, and we've got a green light from her. So if anyone, named Dumbles, starts asking questions about the sudden disappearance of his favorite poisonous pets, he'll have his answer of that being the result of a combined effort of Auror department, and the newly instated Prince Le Fay. And I should also point out that she'll want to have a word with you after the meeting on 31st."

"Thanks Nym." Harry smiled to her, before turning to look at Moody, who was giving him an evaluating look. "What's the latest score between Chelsea and Manchester United?" Harry suddenly asked out in random.

"Same as always: Arsenal wins the season." Alastor replied with a bit of a smile. "Looking a lot better now, kid. No visible bones or anything like that, at least."

"Yeah, and sleeping in a warm comfy bed with sheets and matrass does wonders to regain health." Harry replied to him. "You sure you are up for this, Moody? As much as you may deny it, old man, but you are by far no spry chicken, and this isn't going to be a walk in the park either."

"I know that, kid." Moody said to him in his gruff voice. "Like it or not, but I'm already here, and I've a feeling that you've come with a good plan to take those spiders down, because even an idiot knows that doing what we are about to do the old fashioned way is as good as letting them chew us up for dinner, like a pork with an apple in his mouth."

"There is the plan, and it will work." Moody nodded to him wobbling to Regulus, while Harry turned his attention to Andromeda and Ted. "I'm sorry that I've dragged you into this one, but I am short on manpower and…"

"Son, no need to explain it to us. You've called, you needed help, and that is what we are here for- to help you." Ted said to him, stepping closer to look at his surrogate son with a smile. "That's what family is for, Harry. And it's also high time that you've realized it, son, because me and 'Dromeda wouldn't want our future son-in-law to end up dead because he decided to play Superman."

"Dad…" Nym blushed up, as her hair turned crimson, while Ted and Andromeda chuckled a little.

"No need to feel embarrassed, Dora, dear. We are just happy that you two are finally on the right track and we are even happier that you've straightened your boyfriend's head." Andromeda said to her daughter, before turning to Regulus. "Regulus, is that invitation to a picnic still in effect? Because Ted and I thought that we may head out after all this is done, if you do not mind."

"Not at all, and Faye will be happy to see you." Regulus stated to her, before turning to Harry. "Looks like the gang are all here and ready. Time that you've revealed your master plan, kid."

"Right." The group came close together, with Henry speaking up as they've listened. "First of all, thank you for coming, this means a lot to me. Now, as you all are aware, we are heading into the Forbidden Forest to deal with the Acromantula threat, and when I say we deal with it, I mean, once and for all. I know that those creatures have nests all over Scotland, Northern and even Central England, but this here is where it all started, and this is where it will all end."

"Won't we be detected by Dumbledore and Hogwarts when we enter into the Forest?" Andromeda asked the same question that Cassiopeia mused with a couple of minutes ago. "And once we enter, how are going to effectively genocide those creatures? From what I understand, simple _Avada Kedavra _on them all is like stomping on one ant with a boot, while leaving a million around."

"No, the wards don't work properly in the Forest, hence the number of students that have gone missing in it. I believe Neriada here can explain it the best." Henry pointed to her.

"The Forest existed here long before your school was even in the making, and it's magic distorts the wards and whatever other defenses that Hogwarts employs in the Forest." Neriada spoke up. "As Prince Le Fay had stated earlier, none will notice us breaching the grounds of your school from Forbidden Forest."

"None but Hagrid, if the big guy happens to get sentimental today and visit his old pal Aragog." Ted noted out, with Andromeda and Nym giving him something of a curious eye. "If you think he is bad at keeping secrets, try listening to him after he had a shot of Finnish vodka that I shared with him once. Boy, for a half-giant, that dude can't hold his liquor."

"That he doesn't." Harry agreed, with Regulus nodding his head to that. "And as for how we are going to deal with spiders, Cassiopeia and I have come up with a way to do it."

"Like Andromeda and Alastor have stated, taking on Acromantulas like normal magical creatures is both suicidal and impossible, given their numbers and the fact that they've got nests all over the northern country." Cassiopeia spoke up after Henry. "That makes the traditional approach pretty much useless to us. However, there is one factor that we've found out about Acromantulas that is going to a fatal one for them: their colonies and numbers have all started out from two specific Acromantulas, Aragog and his mate. They are going to be our main targets."

"Now, for those of you who are unaware, House Pendragon had been destroyed due to a powerful curse that my now mother, Morgana Le Fay, had placed on the members of said House that came from bloodline of Guinevere Gryffindor." Henry spoke up. "Cassiopeia and I have found out about that curse and how Morgana had done it."

"Morgana had first used a modified parent linking charm that connects the parents and their offsprings through magic, before sending an infertility curse. The modified charm that she used had managed to link up all children of Guinevere, and their descendants that came from them, in one link." Cassiopeia stated to them all. "I've learned the charm, as did Harry here, and we can cast it, but we need to cast it on either the male or female progenitors of those creatures, for it to take full effect on all of their offsprings and descendants. Once the link has been established, we cast a single Killing Curse on the casted spider, and the infestation problem is gone."

"Sounds pretty simple enough, but I do have a few questions, though." Ted spoke up. "Why not utilize a blood linking charm and use it with the first Acromantula that we get in contact with? Use the charm, blasted it bits and boom, all is done."

"Ted, darling, do you really think that I, a world renowned researcher and expert in all things dark and charming, wouldn't have tested the very thing you've just said?" Cassiopeia spoke to him with a voice dripping with sarcasm. "Do be a dear and leave the complex magical thinking to Andromeda. You are far better at thinking in muggle way and just standing around looking handsome."

"You make it sound like I'm just an accessory to my wife here." Ted folded his arms at the thought, with Andromeda stifling her giggle. "What? Don't tell me that you think the same way, you minx?"

"Of course not, dear. You have quite a number of qualities that have drawn me to you, and the handsome part is just the icing on the very delicious cake." Andromeda calmed her husband, before turning to her aunt. "Cassiopeia, while I can see the reason behind using that linking charm you spoke of, I have to ask, how do you plan to get to their main nest, and do you know where is it located even?"

"I do, and the nest is about quarter a mile away from our position to the south west." Henry spoke up. "And we will be going there the good old fashioned way, no way around it, I am afraid. Using brooms won't do us good due to the density of the forest, not to mention the spider webs. Apparition doesn't work correctly in the forest, and I've already tested it out, as with the portkeys. Same reason why the wards aren't working on the forest, so that leaves us with one option, really. So we'll have to fight our way through to get to those two Acromantulas."

"Sounds like this is going to be fun." Skadhi chuckled darkly, as the grass near her feet turned to ice.

"Sounds like suicide to me, instead of fun." Alastor spoke up, before turning his attention to Harry. "Those bastards are a tough damn bunch, believe me. And with the numbers on their side… Best we just burn our way through to them with _Fiendfyre_."

"Try that, and you will lose not just your other eye, but your life as well." Neriada spoke to Alastor in a dangerous tone of voice. "My people will take the destruction of the forest nothing short than an act of war, Prince Le Fay. And my people are very well versed in the art of war."

"I know." Harry stated to her, before turning to everyone else. "Because of this, we can't simply burn our way through to them, so we'll have to fight to get to them. Seeing as, aside from me, Lady Skadhi, Neriada and Alastor, most of you have much of an experience when it comes to dealing with the crawling bastards, so you'd better remember the two spells that I've actually created to deal with the critters: _Arachnea Exterminatus_, and _Protego Arachnea_. The first is a Spider Killing curse, which works on a small area towards which you point and kills them, much like with _Avada Kedavra_. As for _Protego Arachnea_, it is defensive and repelling Charm that repels the Acromantulas around you better than a Shark Repellent with Batman." Ted, Nym and, surprisingly, Regulus snickered at what Harry just said, before he showed them the correct wand movements for the spells.

"Alright, sounds like everything is set up well enough." Alastor grumbled up. "We go in together, no straying away from the group. I go up front, clear up the way, while Ted and Regulus take up the flanks. Cassiopeia and Harry stay in the middle of the group, as they need the best protection. Andromeda and Nymphadora, you cover our rear and all you, watch out above for those bastards. As for you two…"

"I'll take the place up front too, bound to be where all those creatures will like to come at." Skadhi spoke up.

"I'll move along with Prince Le Fay." Neriada spoke up, with Alastor nodding to her.

"Alright, while we clear the way, one or two of you keep up the _Protego Arachnea _to repel the bastards, and if you see the critters flanking us around, you kill them with _Exterminatus_. Once we get to the lair and the targets, Cassiopeia and Harry quickly cast up the charm and kill the target with their brood, along with the surviving mate. If we get to see Hagrid, stun and _Obliviate _him, we can't have Dumbledore finding out about us here. If the plan fails, we retreat in orderly and calm fashion, and if one gets injured, we cover for them and get out." Alastor explained his formulated plan, with everyone nodding.

With the plan formulated, the group took up the formation and moved into the forest, keeping up a distance from each other in a few paces, to give room for maneuver for everyone. Moving in something that could only be described as a pentagram formation, with Henry, Cassiopeia and Neriada within it, they threaded the through forest carefully, with Alastor silently grumbling to everyone about the constant vigilance. Soon enough, the massive trees with their leaves and branches began to blacken the skies and sun away, with the group warily stepping forward. All the while, Neriada looked around herself with somewhat wide eyes and didn't even notice at first when Henry called her out when he noticed her being somewhat light headed in his eyes.

"I was listening to the Forest and taking in its magic and senses." Neriada explained herself. "It struggles under the fact of Acromantulas being here, and it wants to be rid of them, to start healing itself from them. And you were right, their lair is close enough. How did you know about it?"

"When I attended Hogwarts, I've made it my pass time to hunt for these critters and salvage up their poison. Made a good deal of Galleons off selling it." Harry admitted to Neriada. "I've walked practically through most of the place, so I know where their hunting grounds are, as well as where the nest is. We've just crossed the border between a proverbial no man's land and the Acromantulas hunting grounds, so everyone get read- Look out!" Harry called out, before he casted his _Arachnea Exterminatus _above their heads.

A pale white array of translucent lightning shot out of his wand into the upcoming Acromantulas. Within the next second, six spiders got shot by the invented spell and all fell down on to the ground, completely dead and limp, without moving even a muscle. The group took a second to look at the effect of the curse, while Harry already casted up _Protego Arachnea_, knowing full well what was to come and making sure to create a repelling field. Ted spoke up, after looking at the nearest corpse of the spider.

"Don't these creatures usually do that thing when they roll up on their back and fold those legs of theirs when they die?" Ted asked out of the blue, as the group reassembled together. "Just out curiosity…"

"Like I said, my curse does the same thing as _Avada_ on everyone, only with spiders and on large area." Harry reminded to Ted, who understood what he meant and nodded to him. "They must've expanded their grounds, because they don't usually have the hangers attack close to the edge of their territories. And if the hangers have struck, then that means…" And at that moment, the entire group began to hear the hustling of the leaves, grass and more, along with the sounds of the spiders coming right up towards them.

"Bollocks, everyone, ya know what to do, so get to it!" Alastor commanded, as he and the rest of the wizards drew out their wands and prepared to meet the waves of spiders.

And just as they did so, they realized they've been already surrounded, as the spiders started to pour in from all sides. Wasting no time whatsoever, the group formed up, with Alastor opening up with Henry's curse at the spiders, downing at least three dozens of the crawling creatures. The rest of Wizards and Witches opened up with their _Exterminatus_, while Henry and Cassiopeia decided to focus up on keeping the spiders away from them via specialized _Protego_. The repelling defensive charm worked, as the spiders couldn't come in any closer were dying by the numbers, all the while moving forward towards their intended target.

Neriada and Skadhi weren't wasting breath either, deciding to take their share of crawling creatures. The Dryad's powers came from her connection with the forest and nature, commanding the very soil, earth and plants around her, including trees. At her command, branches of the trees extended and grabbed a hold of the hanging Acromantulas, before squishing and crushing them into nothing. Roots of the same trees rose up from under the ground and crushed the nearby spiders, while those spiders that still climbed their trunks were impaled on suddenly sprung out sharp branches. The ground itself has also started to fight agaisnt the spiders, as it became muddier and softer, sinking the creatures into itself and not allowing them to come any closer. Those that have fallen prey to such fate were dispatched by either nature, magic or Skadhi.

The Jotann Queen didn't waste her breath either, and used her powers to quite a delightful effect. Jotanns were one of the most powerful magical races, most closely linked with magic and capable of most freely using it their advantage. Skadhi's magical prowess stemmed from her control of cold and ice, manipulating the very air and water to freeze and take whatever shape she commanded. As her eyes glowed up and a predatory smile crossed her beautiful face, she began to form up spikes, blades and stars made of ice from the thin air, before launching them at spiders, piercing their carcasses and ripping them to shreds. Placing her hands on the ground, and all around the ground ice spikes protruded and impaled Acromantulas. She sent frozen shards and spikes at them, used her powers to the fullest when she conjured her walls of ice around the group to protect them. The Jotann Queen was in a battle rash, having forgotten the tactic and even the fact of her being a part of the group.

This was a bad mistake, as after half an hour of non-stop battle and spell casting, the group has reached the proverbial doors of the lair, indicated by the webs and more ferocious spiders, along with their nimbers. And it was at that moment, when Skadhi had strayed away from the group a little, that the largest yet spider jumped down on her, forcing her to the ground. If the previous Acromantulas that had attacked varied from the sizes of large housecats like Maine Coon to the size of Newfoundland dog, than this particular spider was the size of a literal car, up to ten meters in length and with a very wide spread of his legs.

The creature was met by the _Arachnea Exterminatus_, but to the shock of Regulus that had sent it, the curse was utterly ineffective. Skadhi, after having been practically fully crushed by the large spider, just barely managed to maneuver away from its stinger and mandibles. It was at moment when the spider was going for its third strike, when she heard Henry's voice.

"_Fulgur_!" A bolt of lightning struck out from his wand and in an instant reached the giant spider.

The conjured lightning sent the eight legged creature back from Skadhi, before being burned to a crisp and succumbing to death, leaving after itself only the disgusting husk and a smell of roasted spider. The group maneuvered to Skadhi, with Henry helping her to get up, as she composed herself back, before speaking up.

"Thank you." She sounded sincere. "That thing… It had a jump on me and…"

"Don't excuse yourself, everyone can be taken by surprise. Happens to the best of us, I know from personal experience." Harry simply stated to Skadhi, while the group had enjoyed a small window of calm before the storm.

"Why didn't that thing get roasted by the _Exterminatus_ like its lesser siblings?" Regulus asked out loud of Henry. "Is that a mutant or something?"

"No, it looks a lot more like one of the leaders of the colonies that I and my sisters have destroyed." Neriada spoke up. "They have a hardened skin and are resilient against the magic, but not all magic, it would seem."

"That's what the fully grown Acromantula looks like, when it reaches its complete and full maturity. If before we've handled their kids, teens and young adults, these are the middle-aged bastards, speaking in human terms." Harry explained, as the group observed how about a couple of dozen of the same sized spiders began to surround them. "Well, I'd say this is actually good news for us, because they stick only to their lair, which means we are in it, given their presence and the amount of web around here."

"Hate to break to you, love, but how do we kill those freaks before they kill us?!" Nym was practically panicking at the sight of those creatures coming towards them.

"You don't, I do!" Cassiopeia shouted out to her nieces, as she raised her wand up in the air, before speaking the name of the spell. "_Fulgur Catena Arachnea_!"

The bright flash of light erupted from Cassiopeia's wand, as the cracking sound of lightning sounded in the forest. With the second, a single lightning bolt shot out and traveled around the surrounded group, disintegrating and roasting the giant spiders that had surrounded them. Within ten seconds, Cassiopeia seized her spell work, before nearly slumping down, only to be caught by Andromeda and helped her onto her feet. Cassiopeia spoke up in a tired tone of voice.

"Hope Dorea hears it, because I could kiss her for teaching me how to modulate the spells, as she called it." Cassie said to Harry with a knowing smile. "Still… That spell took quite a bit of me to pull off… Harry, I do sincerely hope that you remember the charm, right?" Harry nodded to her. "Good, because I'm in no condition to cast it now, and since we are in their lair's territory, I'd suggest we watch our spells."

"Right. Andromeda, help your aunt here. Everyone else, use the repelling charm, and let's get a move. And no straying away now." Alastor said the last part to Skadhi who simply nodded to him.

The group went down a small slope, before coming down a clearing, surrounded by the old and mangled trees, linked with thick webs. As they've all stepped onto the clearing, observing the many exits from the clearing and noticing multiple holes in between the grounds and roots of the trees. In the center, there was the largest hole, with the biggest spider the group had seen so far seen perched from out of it.

It was the double the size of the fully mature Acromantula, and it looked straight at the group. It was clear that this is one of the targets that they've been looking for, but that wasn't what had drawn their attention alone. There, right in front of them and with his back to the giant spider, stood none other than the keeper of gates and keys of Hogwarts, the massive form of Hagrid, who practically took a protective form between the invaders and the spider. Ted was the first one to break the silence.

"Oh, bollocks… Hagrid, mate…" Ted tried to address his old friend, before the giant boomed on them.

"Wha' the bloody hell yer' all think ya doin', ya heartless bastards?!" Hagrid shouted at them. "Don't 'cha 'now what ya' doin?! Ya bloody murderin' them all! By the hundreds and thousands now! And all for what, some damn poison from em?!"

"This is not about the poison, Hagrid, mate, but you really need to step aside from it." Nym asked of him, as she and her dad pointed their wands at Hagrid. "Hagrid, please don't me and the others do what we'll later regret…"

"Nym, ya' shouda' understand how I feel about 'em, and ya know that they ain't no danger to anybody! Yet ya go and slaughter them all with your posy here!" Hagrid screamed at her, with Andromeda and Harry taking a stance in front of Nym with their wands out. "Ted, 'Dromeda, what the bloody hell yer' all doin?! I thought we were friends, but why…"

"Hagrid, mate, we are friends, and I mean it, damn it!" Ted shouted at him. "But, as much as you may be my friend, that doesn't excuse the fact that your so called harmless misunderstood cuties have been spreading through the country like a bloody plague! They are already all over Scottish hills and planes with forests, and they are also down south, in Northern and Central England. Towns and villages have been _literally_ eaten by these wall crawling freaks! _Towns and villages_, Hagrid!"

"Ya' speak bollocks, Ted! I'd know if somethin' like that were happenin', and if not me, than Dumbledore for sure! And how can there be towns and villages eaten, if there's only one colony and only here?!" Hagrid called out on them.

"And how the hell do ya' know of that, you big headed monster-loving buffoon?!" Alastor shouted out to him. "Ya thinkin' that the Aurors know nothin' about all those damn beasts and monsters ya' have been smuggling in here? Well guess again, 'cause Amelia Bones has got one big fat file with your name all over it, detailin' every single bloody deal, smuggle, every itty bitty bug ya brought to Hogwarts, all 'cause ya decided to make yourself a private zoo! We've been stayin' away only 'cause Dumbledore told us that he holds those beasts on tight leash, but looks like that's one big fat lie! Your eight-legged friend there and his mate have made so many of those freaks that they are now crawling all over the country, and since people are now dead and eaten 'cause of them, with numbers going up in hundreds, this is the matter that we ain't ignorin' anymore! So step aside, Hagrid, or I'll personally bring you to Bones as for impeding the work of the Aurors and bloody well assisting in spreading of those freaks!"

"The only Aurors I see are ya 'lastor and Nym, but the rest ain't no Auror, so it's' no Ministry work here! And who the hell is the silver haired ponce who's been glaring daggers at me?!" Hagrid asked of them.

"The man, whose lands your so called 'friends' have been plundering." Henry calmly stepped forward with his wand on the ready. "I am Henry Arthur Le Fay, Prince Le Fay, Ruler and Protector of the Northern Britannia, which are currently crawling with hundreds of your friends' inbred offsprings, killing and eating those that live on my lands. I give you one last chance, half-giant: step away from that beast, or I'll deliver you to Bones personally and make sure you sit in Azkaban for association with those beasts' murderous sprees." Hagrid looked at him with a heated glare, before shouting at him.

"To hell with ya and yer' innocents, ya monster! I'll rip ya head off myself!" Hagrid practically launched himself towards Henry with murderous rage, with Andromeda and Ted both sending _Stupefy_, but to no avail.

However, before he could even reach past Alastor, roots and branches of the surrounding trees spread out and taken hold of Hagrid's limbs and torso, holding him firmly place. Usually, the half-giant would've been able to easily break free, but the magic of entire forest seemed to be focused up in those binds. They were led and empowered by the wrath and rage of a grieving Dryad, who stepped forward, holding Hagrid with her magic. Nymphadora and Ted had wanted to step forward and stop her, but Cassiopeia and Andromeda stopped them with them shaking their heads, indicating that it would be best not to come any closer. Neriada looked at Hagrid, who still tried to get out of binds, as she spoke up.

"You… It is because of you that my sisters have withered away." She spoke in cold and near impassive way, as the binds strengthened even more. "Those monsters… They've spread their webs around my forests, tangled them around my sisters and their daughters, before they've feasted on them. Dozens of my people have withered away because they've felt every second of their torment and anguish, crying out for Gaea to stop it, and getting nothing. All of them, all of my sisters, nieces, friends and even my mother… All because you've decided to take these monsters for _pets_?" The branch of tree found its way around Hagrid's neck, coiling around it strongly, nearly suffocating the half-giant.

And then… The forest filled with the breaking and tearing noise, as Nymphadora and Andromeda turned away in shock, while Ted, Regulus and Harry looked away, at what Neriada had done. In a single second, the powerful and vengeful Dryad had unleashed her wrath in one single move, as she tore apart Hagrid with all of her power. The separated parts of his body fell down onto the ground, spilling blood out of them. Neriada gave one last look at the severed up corpse of the half-giant, before she looked at the progenitor of the monsters that took so much from her and her people.

"Was… He didn't mean any harm to you or any of your people. Why did you…" Nym looked at him in shock.

"Because of all the blood that have been spilled because of him!" Neriada shouted at her, as she looked at Nymphadora with rage. "What would you do, if your sisters have died because of his actions, even if he meant none of it?! What if your dear mother had been forced to death from all the losses she had to feel and witness?! Would you just sit on your bottom and let it happen, or would you make sure to make those responsible for it suffer?!"

"But Hagrid…" Nymphadora tried to speak up, with Alastor interrupting her.

"Tonks, as much as I may hate the fact of what she had done, Hagrid was a goner the moment he stood in our way." Alastor admitted to her. "The DMLE has been itching to get their hands on the man, and the only thing that had stopped us was Dumbledore's word. There's more charges and evidence on that buffoon than on most Death Eaters I've sent to Azkaban. Even if they are just smuggling and illegal breeding, their number is enough to warrant the kiss of Dementor. And after what has been happening in the country… I would've brought that guy in, Dumbledore or not."

"Poor Hagrid…" Suddenly all of them heard the deep voice, coming from Aragog, making them turn their head to him. "He could never tell whom he should trust and not. Though I am thankful to him for protecting my children and me, because only thanks to him we may now freely take what is ours."

"You don't sound all too sorrowful for your friend here, and your kind's time on this island is over." Harry said to Aragog, as he stepped forward, while Neriada had summoned roots to hold Aragog in place. "You and your mate have made a big mistake sending out your bastards out of here."

"Haha, do you really think that just killing me and Mosague will change the fate of your peoples on this island?" Aragog laughed at him. "Our children are many, and their offsprings have already spread all throughout these lands, and our colonies outside prosper. Soon enough, there shall be more of us than you could ever possibly handle. And we will all feast on your flesh and bones. Humans, centaurs, Dryads and all, all of them will be our meals. You may kill me and my wife, but in our will come ten thousand of our descendants. You have all lost, and all thanks to Hagrid…" The flash of green light lighted up the area behind them, as the gigantic body of a black spider hit the ground behind them all.

The giant body of Mosague burned to the crisp, as Regulus lowered his wand from her and turned to Harry.

"You said we needed one of them, right? And that thing was trying to get a drop on us." Regulus simply stated to him with Harry nodding to him. "Just get this over with, Harry." Asked of him in a tired tone of voice.

Harry turned himself to the bound giant spider, who stared down at the silver haired wizard. Without wasting another breath, Harry raised his wand towards Aragog and began to speak incantations in an ancient archaic form of Norse language. While most known to Europe spells could be spoken in the Latin, there were far, far more spells that were spelled out in different languages, all of which held power in them. And the linking charm that Henry was casting on Aragog was one of the most powerful of such kinds of spells, as it created a direct magical link between the progenitor of the line and everyone coming from that line. Everyone thought that it was the curse that Morgana had sent on Guinevere that was the symbol of her power, but in reality, it was the charm that she had casted.

After a long and powerful chant, the white wisp of light had exited Harry's wand and gone to Aragog, merging with it. Letting out a sigh of relief at seeing that the link had taken effect and root in the beast, he pointed his wand once more at the beast before speaking the words.

"_Avada Kedavra_." The green flash of light went directly to the spider and hit him, as his body fell down limp.

The very next moment, the group heard a great many of thumping noises, as the many dead husks of spiders have hit the ground. Everyone looked around and then at each other, before Neriada spoke up.

"The forest sees no living spiders, none of them…" Neriada spoke in somewhat of a shock, as she took in the breath of air. "Only their dead husks and nothing more, and I can already sense the forest beginning to heal from their blight, and I can sense that forests in my lands are also starting to heal... Sisters, Mother, they may now rest with Gaea in peace."

"And people speak of me being prone to overkill…" Skadhi spoke up in awe, as she looked at Henry with a smile. "Congratulations, Prince Le Fay. You have held your word to Crawley and to us all, and you've shown to be a no pushover or a pansy…" She stepped closer to Henry, before taking his arm in her own up to the elbow. "I, Skadhi, Queen of Jotanns of Britannia, pledge the absolute and complete allegiance of my people to House Le Fay, ruler and protector of my people. I and my people shall stand with you till the end of days."

"I, Henry Arthur Le Fay, do solemnly accept your pledge and swear upon the name and magic of my House to uphold it and for my descendants to uphold our word and oath made to you." The hands of Skadhi and Henry glowed in golden, as the pact was sealed and moot, with Skadhi smiling to him, as did Harry to her. "Thank you."

"No, thank you, milord." Skadhi spoken to him, before distancing herself from him. "I will put my efforts to make sure that the others know what you have done, my Prince. And I'll make sure that Crawley knows of it first. Oh, and wouldn't it be just nice if our resident vengeful princess of woods had upheld her word, now that Prince had upheld his." She said the last part to Neriada, who turned to them.

"The loyalty of my people may only be pledged by our Queen." Neriada simply stated to them, but she still stepped closer to Harry. "She is not long due for this world before joining in Gaea with her daughters and sisters, but she will know of your act. When the new Queen comes to her rights, she shall come to Albion's Hearth to see you, Prince Le Fay. Any more I may not say, but from myself… Thank you, milord." She bowed to him with respect.

"The Forest also thanks us, and has granted you and us all a passage out of her in magic. You may now come and go in here freely at your volition." Neriada stated to him and the others, before she turned her head towards the corpse of Hagrid. "I will not apologize for him, nor will the Queen, even if he was your friend. But at the very least, I can give him this." With a wave of her hand, the land taken the dismembered body of half-giant and taken it into itself.

"Let's… Let's just go home already." Nymphadora spoke up tiredly, with her parents and the others agreeing with her, and in the next second, the group apparated out of the place.

* * *

**Evening. Albion's Hearth. Harry's personal study.**

"You mean… She just up and tore him apart like a ragdoll?" Rose, who was now dressed in the robes of Le Fay House colors, said in shock as she listened to Harry tell her of Hagrid's fate. "Poor Hagrid… Why didn't you stop her? You could've easily have done so, and you knew that Hagrid's only sin is that he liked dangerous beasts a little too much."

"I know that, sis." Harry simply stated to her, as he took a sip of whiskey, being seated at the fireplace near his sister. "And I know I could've done so, but… There was something in her eyes, something that I've seen in my own a few times, when you were hurt. And when I saw it and I imagined being in her place… She may be a Dryad and different from us humans, but be I in her place and if you had suffered from those freaks… I'd have done the very same thing with Hagrid as Neriada."

"And let's not forget that your scarred charming friend have already told us that Hagrid would've had to face a Dementor for the amount of his crimes, not to mention being indirectly responsible for deaths of 4.267 humans over the past 30 years." Irene spoke up, as she read a book from her own chair, without even looking up. "I've also had swept up the areas where the colonies have been spotted and located. Only dead spiders of all sizes and ages in thousands. All collected and delivered to Goblins, as you have ordered, milord, along with those that were still collectable in the Forbidden Forest. However, I do wish to note that utilizing my talents in such way is a one particular way of demeaning me, in my personal humble opinion."

"Considering that I was unable to use you to wipe them out, I wasn't able to see the extent of your powers. You may see this as a way to showcase your immense and great power, Irene, and as a way to impress me." Harry simply stated to her, looking at the fire.

"If being a heavy lifter and running a delivery service to Goblins is all that it takes to impress you, milord, then I am very much worried for your House, and my future employers." Irene dryly stated. "Hopefully, Lady Tonks will be able to sort out and pick up truly impressive witches, and those that are loyal to you and not their families' greedy interests."

"Irene, do not fret. If you are looking for a way to prove your power, or simply to flaunt it around, then there is something that you may do." Harry stated to her, with Irene now looking up to him. "Regulus' hunch about the Gaunts' properties was the right one. They've lost practically everything in land department, safe for a small half ruined shack deep in the woods. I've taken a trip there yesterday to access if there was anything unusual. The place, along with the woods around it are warded better on a level of a magical fortress, and there are quite a number of powerful and dangerous curses placed there. In other words, Voldemort had made that place a literal magical death trap for any wizard to thread through."

"Why someone would ever place the wards and curses on such a level around an abandoned shack, if not to keep people away from something that is inside?" Rose asked a rhetorical question. "He would've warded it up so that not even Dumbledore was able to get inside."

"But where the world's allegedly strongest Wizard fails to walk, a Devil will come through without as much as broken nail." Irene smirked slightly, as she flipped the page. "Very well, milord. I'll make sure to visit the place and destroy any Horcrux that I may come upon. This should prove to be entertaining."

"Be sure to enjoy yourself, Irene, but do not destroy the Horcrux." Harry suddenly spoke up, with Rose and Irene looking at him with surprise. "Morgana's linking charm had sparked up an idea in my mind. We may be aware about that one Horcrux, but not if there are others, how many there are, and most importantly, where those Horcruxes are located."

"And the Horcrux houses a part of Voldemort's soul, so they are all connected through being parts of one soul." Rose simply stated. "Utilizing the greatest weapon of your enemy to destroy him… And my friends had wondered why you were placed in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor."

"The hat did consider putting me there, to be fair with you, but I refused and went to Slytherin." Harry chuckled, as he sipped whiskey. "Had I known back then that my Head of the House would be such an arsehole, and all because I've served to steel the object of his masturbation, I would've gone to Hufflepuff instead. Professor Pomona's always been the nicest person in that place, plus I always did like a late night snack." Harry chuckled some more, as he drank his whiskey.

"Speaking of the late night snacks, you mind telling me where did you get that little bottle of whiskey, if I know for certain that there are only wines in this castle?" Rose pointed at the bottle standing near Harry. "And speaking of the said bottle, since when did you get to drinking, hm?"

"Ted's early present on my birthday, so to speak." Harry answered. "Said that since I don't celebrate it anyway, he might as well give it to me early. Also, what's with the sudden questioning, sis? You are not our mother." Harry chuckled.

"And thank Morgana for that, or I would've slit my own throat if I were." Rose shook her head. "I am, however, your sister, and since our mother is a bitch, as you've stated numerous times, it automatically becomes my responcibility to look after your bottom. And considering your track record of getting into trouble, I'd say that is a must."

"I second that notion." Irene approved. "And I believe Lady Nymphadora would support as well."

"Do I smell treason, Irene?" Harry narrowed his eyes. "Planning on having my beloved little sister usurp my position?"

"Of course, milord." Irene admitted without missing a beat. "In my experience, House Le Fay had always prospered when it was run by women. Men, safe for a few, have been surprisingly dissapointing in their duties, both as Princes and husbands."

"Well, here is to me not falling in the eyes of public and our residential Devilish jury." Harry chuckled, before taking another sip of whiskey, enjoying his evening and life at the moment.

* * *

**Not much to say for now, other than I'm not apologizing for Hagrid's death. Be sure to leave a comment, PM, suggestion or question, always enjoy those.**

**Next time: Wizengamot and House Le Fay strikes first.**


	11. Chapter 11

**July 31****st****. Ministry of Magic. London.**

The Floo place lit up, as from it exited three figures from it, one male and two females. Harry fixed up his black and blue coat, while Cassiopeia had dusted her black and golden robes off, with Rose pulling her hood over the face, as she fixed it with her now two healthy strong hands. It had been about two days since Rose has been enjoying the feeling of her new and fully functional left arm, curtousy of Cassiopeia, Irene and the Philosopher's Stone. It was near a miracle for her, but one miracle that she was all too eager to get accustomed and she had made the most of it, with Rose already being more than accustomed to her new limb, even being able to cast magic with it.

And once that was proven, Rose had decided that she too wanted to come along with her big brother on this gathering. Naturally, Harry, along with Cassiopeia and Irene, were opposed to Rose showing her face anywhere near that place. However, the young girl wasn't a Potter and Black descendant for nothing, especially having inherited, according to Cassiopeia and Arcturus, Dorea Potter's legendary determination and stubbornness. After a few hours of arguing, Harry had given up and allowed his sister to come along, but only if she followed his lead, to which Rose agreed without putting up any fight.

Rose initially didn't want to come to Wizengamot and see for sure Weasleys, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus, and most importantly, the Potters, her and Harry's parents. She already knew that they all were aware about her existence and that Harry had probably already thought up a plan or two to keep her safe. However, after regaining her arm, and with it, some of her past courage and inner strength, Rose decided not to wait until her demons came for her, but go and confront them herself, on her own terms. The longer she and Harry withheld that moment, the worse things would be for her and him, so there was little point in waiting.

Along with that thought, Rose had wanted to prove that she could not only confront those that had hurt her, but that she could very much scare them. That and she also had wanted to help her brother prove a point to the Wizengamot, one that stated that House Le Fay was back and it was back in force. Making a show of all members of House Le Fay, of which she was as of yesterday an official member and an Heiress, would send a powerful message to all potential allies and enemies alike.

Not to mention that Rose and Harry, in the wake of her decision to come along, have decided to use this opportunity to strike the first blow against the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's positions. They weren't going to reveal _everything _that has happened to Rose, not yet, but even a tiny bit of truth seeded in the minds of all others could grow into a catastrophe for Dumbledore, Potters and all their friends and allies. Along with that, Harry needed to make it clear that as Prince Le Fay and Ruler of Northern Britannia, he wasn't going to put up with any bullshit from anyone: Order, Ministry, Death Eaters, Purebloods, or any other idiot that would think to challenge him, would have to deal with a mighty and powerful Royal and Exalted House Le Fay. And the House was already in a position of power thanks to its vassals who have sworn in or have reaffirmed their oaths to House Le Fay.

Skadhi and Neriada have kept their word and made sure that everyone knew who have dealt with Acromantulas and kept his word to Crawley and the Dryads. The very next day, following Skadhi's example, Centaurs, Veelas and even Elven Races, all led by their respective leaders, have shown themselves in his castle, swearing allegiance to House Le Fay, with Hirandyl and Eluna having stated to him that while the Dryads haven't yet swore to him, he could already count them as good friends. As for Crawley, he was still in debates with not just himself, but also many other packs of Werewolves, but, as Eluna had made it clear, he was no longer on track of becoming a Dumbledore's puppet, so that was the start. Alucard and Vampire Clans have sent their own envoy, stating that House Le Fay has demonstrated its power, and that Clans recognize it, but still debate on whether or not to join him as his subjects. As Harry saw it, they needed further proof and evidence that he meant what he said, and it was fine by him.

The trio had arrived some time before the meeting, as there was someone that Harry had wanted to meet up with prior to the meeting. As they moved through the buzzing swarm of wizards that was the atrium of the Ministry, Harry took a second to look at the golden statue and the fountain in the atrium, before shaking his head.

"Had any of the magical beings saw this monstrosity of an art, they'd most likely find the idiot who had ordered it and had him castrated." Harry noted out, with Rose simply nodding him from under her blue and golden robes of House Le Fay.

"This fountain was commissioned by the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge, to commemorate the cooperation of Wizards and Magical Creatures and Beings." An overly sweet, unpleasant voice came from Harry's left, forcing him and his companions to turn. "Your comment does not do you any honor, and shows an utter disrespect towards the Ministry and the office of the Minister."

Before Harry and his companions stood the poorly transfigured toad that was Dolores Umbridge, in her hideous pink clothes and atrocious bow. Near her stood John Dawlish, one of the Aurors of the DMLE, and one of the sleazy ones, according to Nymphadora Tonks. Harry turned to face the woman and her bodyguard without any haste, calmly looking down at her.

"Now, identify yourself, and turn yourself in for your crime against the Ministry." Dolores demanded in her shrill voice, almost not hiding the glee at abusing her power.

"A crime agaisnt the Ministry? If there are any crimes I see, then it would be that atrocity of a fountain, and then the one standing right in front of me, wearing what I can only describe as designer's nightmare." Harry replied, internally smirking at the reddening face of Dolores and glaring John Dawlish. "Also, crime agaisnt the Ministry for speaking out my mind about a very poor design choice? Madam, this the 20th century, not the 10th, so do please tone down your witch hunting."

"You… Who in the name of the Ministry are you to speak to _me _in such a manner?!" Dolores practically shrieked at him, with the rest of the atrium already being drawn to the fight. "I am Dolores Umbridge, Undersecretary of the Minister of Magic, and I will not let some ruffian speak to me in such way!"

"Undersecretary of the Minister? And here I thought the position of a simple Secretary is already lewd enough, but who would've thought that the Minister would take it to such a level." Harry let out a comment, with some of the Ministry's workers and bystanders snickering, while Dolores was reaching her limit. "Although, something tells me that you gained this position through neither your talents, nor your looks. If the former can be confirmed by your lack of dress code and your inability to even look the part, then the latter is confirmed by a single glance at you, which is already a more scarring experience then all witch hunts in England combined."

"Enough! Dawlish, arrest this man and his companions, I'll have you sent to Azkaban for these words!" Dolores broke out into a sickening smile, as Dawlish began to move to Harry, before he was stopped by the authoritative voice of his direct boss.

"Dawlish, stand down and belay that order." Amelia Bones, accompanied by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks, stepped forward to Harry and Dolores, who looked positively outraged. "Miss Umbridge, as the Undersecretary of Minister, you should be familiar with the term 'abuse of position and power'. Would you like to be taken into my Department for it?" Amelia asked of her without any sense of humor.

"Miss Bones, this mudblood of a buffoon and his companions here have been effectively spreading an anti-Ministry propaganda, undermining the very office of the Minister." Dolores defended herself. "I was merely doing my duty as the Ministry's worker."

"Had you been doing your work properly and also studied our laws, you would've known that there are no laws that prohibit freedom of speech, Madam Undersecretary." Amelia simply replied, before turning to Harry. "Prince Le Fay, I did not expect you to arrive this early."

"I've cleared my schedule for today, Madam." Harry bowed to her, with Dolores, and many others, looking at Harry with wide and shocked eyes. "Madam Bones, I believe we have some business to conclude. Let's take this to your office, before more onlookers come to gawk at a toad making a fool out of herself."

"My thoughts exactly." Bones agreed with Henry, before turning to Umbridge and Dawlish. "One more stunt like that, Miss Umbridge, and the disciplinary hearing will be the last thing you will be getting. As for you Dawlish, you are on probation from now. Prince Le Fay, if we may…"

"Certainly, after you, Madam." Amelia and the rest of them made their way towards the elevators, and as they were out of the earshot of everyone, Harry spoke up. "Sorry for the spectacle. Couldn't help myself."

"Forget it, not like your companions could've stopped you anyway." Amelia saw that neither Rose nor Cassiopeia did anything to dissuade the notion. "Dolores has been the major pain in everyone's bottom for nearly a decade now, ever since she had been promoted to her position. She makes it a habit of hers to flaunt it at every opportune moment, as if to demonstrate to everyone and herself that she is the main power in the Ministry. Abuse of position and power doesn't even begin to describe her."

"Then what's stopping you from arresting her? Don't you have, like, an internal investigations department, which makes sure that there is no corruption and stuff in Ministry?" Rose asked of Amelia, with Kingsley and her chuckling at Rose. "Okay, something tells me that you are about to tell that this thing already exists, but it doesn't do jack."

"Almost, darling." Amelia chuckled, as they've stepped in to the elevator and went to DMLE. "Kingsley here has been the head of the Department of the Internal Security and Investigations five years ago, which did exactly what you said, Rose. Care to take a guess what had happened with it?"

"Budget cuts?" Rose offered her option.

"Minister's dirty underwear came up and he put a lid on it?" Cassiopeia spoke up.

"Dumbledore and his Greater Good shtick." Harry simply stated.

"All of the above. Had my Department been running the way it used to be before it was disbanded, you'd have never ended up in Azkaban, Henry." Kingsley simply stated to him. "By the way, Dumbledore and the Order are all aware about you, but there was no word about Rose around. Something tells me that Lupin didn't disclose the part about finding Rose in your gardens, and about her condition."

"So, James and his posy haven't spread about what they've done to Rose, hm?" Cassiopeia mused. "It would seem that those Potters have _some _measure of a brain in their skulls, and they've used it to conceal what they've done to Rose from even Dumbledore. The news like this is certain to bring down the Potters and their friends, but something tells me that you aren't going to use just yet, Harry."

"Not until we can be certain that there is a new Chief Warlock sitting in Wizengamot, and that the Noble Houses are firmly either impartial, or antagonistic, to Potters to begin with, and given the status of William, fame of James and Marauders, including Lily, not to mention backing of Dumbledore… First we need to erode it all away from them before dealing the deadly strike." Harry simply stated to them. "And that starts to today."

"Hm, is it safe to say that this is going to be one session that they'll remember for long?" Nym asked of her lover, who nodded to him. "Good, 'cause I'm looking forward to it and… Hold on a sec there, love." Nym asked of Harry, before quickly grabbing with her fingers something small off of his left shoulder.

"What is it, Tonks?" Amelia asked her Auror.

"Just a water bug, Boss, nothin' major." Without further explanation, Nym let go of the bug, before squashing it with her boot. "Where did it even come from? Not like we've got any ponds or rivers around."

"Probably stuck on one of the arriving Wizards or Witches that had worked near water." Harry hypothesized, before turning to look at Nym. "You were saying something?"

"Yeah, that I'm looking forward to the session and…" She leaned in to his ear and whispered sensually. "Hope you've got the evening and night clear, because I've taken a week off and… I wouldn't mind spending it together."

"Sounds lovely." Harry smiled to her, before Nym winked to him, as they've arrived to the needed level and stepped out.

"Auror Tonks, do please behave yourself, you aren't on your honeymoon yet and until the day's over, you are still a working Auror." Amelia lightly reprimanded Nym, who simply shrugged at that one, before they've stepped into her office, where they saw Hestia Jones, looking around Amelia's documents. "Auror Jones, what are you doing?"

"Ma'am, I was just sorting the documents out and…" Jones spoke up in a worried tone, before Bones put her hand up stopping her.

"Out, now." She simply ordered her, with Jones jolting out of the office, nearly crushing through Bones' guests, before Shacklebolt closed the door and charmed it from being opened forcefully and safe from anyone listening in. "The girl has no damn idea about how to safely go through someone's documentation. Did Dumbledore put her up for it?"

"Yup, he gave away a couple of his usual hints about how it would be useful if there was something that the Order could gain on Prince Le Fay." Tonks answered, as they've all been seated. "Want me to get her arrested, boss?"

"I'll have someone else detain her, with the headway I've been making in cleaning up the Department. There shouldn't be any fuss about Jones getting detained. You two already know what to tell to Dumbledore and the others when they ask." Bones simply told them, before letting out a sigh and looking at Harry. "You know, Henry, I'm starting to ask myself if you are really James' son or not, because even that idiot didn't make _that _kind of a noise even in his heyday."

"I've wondered the very same thing for most of my life, hoping even, but alas…" Harry simply stated to her with a dramatic sigh. "And do take this as no offence, but I did always hope that Uncle Gabriel was my real dad. He was always the greatest in my eyes when it came to pranks and jokes, but also…"

"I know." Amelia sighed, nodding to Harry. "I don't know what our Edward would've turned out, but thinking that he would've been like you… It warms my heart a bit."

"You wouldn't want him to turn out like me, Amelia, trust me and Rose." Rose nodded to what her brother said, pulling down her hood.

"Speaking of whom, it is good to see you as well, Rose." Amelia smiled to her, with Rose responding to her. "I see that your handicap has been resolved. Should I tell Susan that she can expect to see you in Hogwarts?"

"Over my dead body." Cassiopeia and Harry said at the same time in a dead serious tone.

"Talk about overprotective, but in case of Hogwarts…" Tonks simply noted out to Kingsley.

"Sorry, Ms. Bones, but as you can see, my nannies aren't all too keen to let me go." Rose jokingly stated. "And after all that has been happening, wouldn't it make more sense to pull Susan out of there and send her somewhere safer? I hear France's Magical Academy is nice."

"Wish I could, but..." Amelia let out a defeated sigh, gaining the interest from her guests. "I'm afraid that now that Rose gets to reveal herself, Henry, she'll have to attend Hogwarts whether she likes it or not. A year and a half ago, Dumbledore and his supporters managed to push through the Wizengamot a special edict that forbade transfer or expulsion from Hogwarts without the approval of the Board of Government and Headmaster. In other words…"

"The Ministry will have to enforce it, and when Rose goes to Hogwarts, Dumbledore will have leverage on me." Harry nearly growled out. "Son of a… He effectively make it clear to every Noble Family that if they decide to play for the Dark Side, he's got their most precious possessions under his direct control: their children."

"I'll go if I have to." Rose suddenly spoke up, surprising everyone at how firm her voice was. "If Dumbledore and our parents try to use me as leverage, they'll be in a world of trouble, and that's not just from you, big brother. And if I'm going to Hogwarts, then I'll be going there not as meek and nice Rose Dorea Potter, but as Rose Morgana Le Fay, Heiress to House Le Fay and daughter of Morgana Le Fay herself. Plus, it will be fun putting those idiots that laughed at me in their place." Rose chuckled darkly, with Amelia looked at Cassiopeia with a curious eye.

"Isn't she just an exemplary Black witch? I never get tired of being proud of her and my work." Cassiopeia stated with a smile, while Amelia turned her head to Harry.

"Rose Morgana Le Fay… I take it you've adopted her as your sister, or daughter in adopting sense?" Amelia asked of Harry.

"Neither, Morgana herself did, as she did with me when she took me into House Le Fay." Harry stated to her. "Long story short, she left with Goblins a piece of soul and magic, similar to Horcrux, through which she measured me and Rose up, before adopting as her own children in magic and blood. Hence, now we are literally members of House Le Fay. Now, I take it you'd like to know about our progress on our Horcrux hunt, right?"

"That would be lovely, since this is exactly why I pulled you out of Azkaban." Amelia reminded him. "I understand that Voldemort is no idiot and would've hid his trinkets better than Goblins hide their payment from wives."

"Don't let any Goblins to hear you say that, they might get insulted." Harry advised.

"Whatever. However, I'd like to know if you and Regulus have been able to make _any_ headway with your work? Tonks has mentioned that he had a hunch leading to House Gaunt's properties, but nothing beyond that." Bones spoke up, with Harry glancing at Tonks, before turning back to Amelia.

"The hunch was the correct one, and as of two and a half days, we've already gained one of Voldemort's Horcruxes from the former shack of Gaunts." Harry simply stated to Amelia, who along with Kingsley looked at him with shocked eyes. "You didn't think that we would be sitting around and doing nothing, now did you?"

"Wait, you've already _gained _one of Horcruxes? How? And why haven't you destroyed it?" Kingsley asked of Harry, who answered to him.

"I've scouted the place where the Horcrux was, but found it to be warded and cursed better than Dumbledore protects his lemon drops. In other words, it was a literal deathtrap for any Wizard or Witch that wasn't in same league as Dumbledore and Voldemort, so I've decided not to test my luck. Instead, I've had Irene handle the part about grabbing the Horcrux." Harry stated to them. "According to her, she's had fun dismantling wards, curses and so forth, though she didn't seem even sweating, but she is a Devil, so…"

"You've sent your pet Devil to get it for you, while you were literally doing nothing?" Amelia asked of him.

"Not exactly nothing… More like, I was preoccupied by someone." At that, Tonks blushed crimson with her hair turning red as well. "But, that's mine and Nym's business, the important thing is that we've got the Horcrux. Turns out that it is one of Peverells' artifacts, namely a ring with The Resurrection Stone on it, one of three Deathly Hollows if you know the tale."

"The one that can resurrect your loved ones…" Amelia said in a bit of quiet tone of voice. "You are trying to find a way to dispose of it without destroying the Stone?"

"That, and Cassiopeia and I have an idea on how to use the Horcrux to help us." Harry said to Amelia.

"I am certain that our dear Nymphadora have already told you all about how we've dealt with Acromantulas." Amelia nodded to Cassiopeia. "Now I am trying to apply the same linking charm to Horcrux to locate all the other pieces of Riddle's soul. In theory, if Harry and I manage to modify the linking charm created by Morgana to work on soul instead of blood, we will be able to establish where all the others are, along with where Voldemort himself."

"And then you can simply use a powerful curse and destroy them all with one spell. Nice plan." Kingsley said, sounding very impressed.

"Oh, I wish it was _that _simple..." Harry groaned out. "Horcruxes may be linked up through holding the pieces of the same soul, but, unlike with our experience with Acromantulas, they have certain level of defense from the phenomena that is known as 'linked death'. In basic terms, the Horcruxes can't be destroyed through utilizing the same method as we did with Acromantula, but they can be traced through one of them. We just need to alter the charm Morgana had created, which is going to take quite a bit of time, since it was made in an archaic Scandinavian lingua. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how hard it is to modify an already a complex spell, especially when it is written in a language that is older than England itself."

"I get it, and I believe that you will manage just fine." Amelia stated to him with confidence. "Now, as for the gathering of Wizengamot today, you can be damn sure that you will be the prime target of the discussions, and Minister with Dumbledore will try to enforce their will upon you."

"They can try and fail, I've studied the entire subject from start to finish, and I know that the Ministry's rule over me is largely formal." Harry simply stated to Amelia. "And I don't plan to play on Ministry's or Dumbledore's tune. And I can assure you, Amelia, that the magical beings in my lands aren't all too keen to have Ministry running their lives with their despotic laws, especially when the alternative is far sweeter, and has proven to be able to protect their lives."

"We already have the loyalty of Veelas, Jotunns, Centaurs, High and Night Elves." Rose spoke up. "Werewolves and Vampires are still in thoughts about us, but we already have good graces with them, while Elementals are probably waiting up on Dryads to decide. As for them, they are in a complex stage of transition of power, so to speak, but their loyalty is assured already."

"And as for the Noble Houses, House of Black is already on their side as you can see, and there are 39 Houses that live on Le Fay family's lands, one of which is your House, Lady Regent." Cassiopeia hinted out to Amelia, who turned to look at Harry.

"I can't simply offer up my oath of vassalage to you, even though I already know the benefits, and from what I know, I'd gladly do so if it were to empower my own House." Amelia stated to him, before sighing. "That being said, while _I_ can't give it to you, Susan, as the Heiress, can offer it, without compromising my position in the Ministry."

"I'm sure that Rose and I will be able to convince her." Harry nodded to her. "Besides House Bones, there are quite a few of other Houses that we would be wise to get an oath from: Longbottom, McLaggen, Rosier, along with several others…"

"Aren't you afraid to get the Houses that support Voldemort as Vassals? They'll turn against you when they sense blood." Amelia warned him.

"Not if I can prove to them that I'm a far more dangerous beast than Voldemort. And speaking of his supporters, I have a favor to ask of you, Amelia." Amelia quirked up her brow in surprise, but listened to him. "One of the Houses that hold land in my domain is Lestrange, but there appears to be no trace of them, from what Irene and Skadhi have told me. Do you mind checking out where they are, because from aside the two psychos in Azkaban, I can't get a hold of the other Lestrange walking, according to what my family's magic have been telling me?"

"Harry, there are no other Lestranges left, aside from Rodolphus and Rabastan, along with Bellatrix." Nymphadora spoke up in a saddened voice. "The last one was Cornelia, and you remember what had happened to her, right?" Harry thought about it for a second, before turning to Cassiopeia.

"She is Bellatrix's daughter, and even she's no official Black, she still has a place on the family tree line, right?" Cassiopeia nodded to him, while Harry turned to Nym. "Nym, the thing is that, as a ruler Lestrange's lands, I can identify how many there are members of the family by blood, and from what I've gathered, there are three of them. And since elder Lestranges died, with their sons in prison and Bellatrix had married into the family, that leaves out one other possibility, if, of course, one of the brothers didn't sire a bastard."

"I'll check afterwards with Arcturus and find out about it, and Lestranges are the last Wizards to sire bastards, that I can definitely tell." Cassiopeia stated to Harry, who nodded to her, while Nym looked at her lover with hope.

"You think that Cornie can be alive?" Nym asked of him. "But if she is, then why didn't she come to me or any others for help?"

"Who knows, love?" Harry simply stated rhetorically to her, as they've settled in for the time being into a discussion of mundane things.

* * *

**Half an hour later. Wizengamot chambers.**

Harry, along with Rose still with her hood on, sat in the chambers, being situated at the edge of the room, sitting near Arcturus Black, who joined his grandson, creating an illusion of Henry and Rose being just his guests here. They were situated on quite a distance away from most of the so-called Light families, while most of the Dark ones and Neutrals were at a closer proximity, with most prominent Houses of Greengrass, Malfoy, Rosier, and Flint sitting in very close proximity to them, with Lucius taking this chance to situate himself at Arcturus' left and try to goad the man into a talk with him. Today's gathering had allowed the Heirs and Heiresses of the Noble Families to also come, so as to get them acquainted with the proceedings of the Ministry, and so all families have brought their Heirs and even friends to this place, including Potters with William, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black.

Much like the old man, Harry ignored Malfoy and his attempts at talk, as well as the proceedings regarding the talks about new and old laws. His gaze was focused up on a young woman situated just a few seats away to his right, the one that he hasn't seen in over two years now. The young woman was like an exotic flower among them all, with her dark skinned beauty, a trait she inherited from her African mother and English father. Long, luscious wavy dark hair framed her face, adorned by amber eyes, plump lips and beautiful nose. She was dressed in amber robes, hugging her voluptuous figure tightly and showing her beauty without revealing anything. Even though in Hogwarts she was mocked and looked down due to her being a half-blood and of mixed race, no one could deny that Patricia Isis Davis, or as she likes to be called Tracey Davis, was one of the most beautiful girls in the entire school, and that was before her and Harry's fifth year, when they dated. If back then she looked like an exotic beauty already, then now she looked like a goddess of beauty, one that nearly demanded attention.

Tracey noticed that she was looked at, and as she turned her head to see who it was, she saw a young man with silver grey hair, dressed in black and blue robes. He was definitely one handsome Wizard that she could tell, but that wasn't what had stopped her eyes upon him. No, it was his gaze that she felt upon herself: warm green eyes looking at her with not a carnal interest like others, but with tender feeling of warmth and care, one that she was once familiar to. Dark skinned witch could tell that he was taking into his memory her image, but she didn't mind, instead she welcomed it, oddly enough, because when he looked at her she felt an old feeling of warmth and care going through her body. It was the feeling that she hasn't felt since… Since she was close to someone very special, before losing him.

Harry noticed how Tracey was studying him, and as a gesture of politeness, bowed to her, with Tracey responding in kind, before they broke away their contact. And it was at that moment, when Dumbledore has decided to address the one matter they've all have come here to discuss.

"And now, as you all here are probably aware, there has been a strange phenomenon that has taken place not too long ago." Dumbledore began in his usual way. "A magical surge has been released and went through the country in wave form. Now, we have determined it had no immediate negative effect on the Wizarding World, as only those of magical descent could've felt it, but there were some other much unexpected consequences. Mr. Croaker, would you care to explain to us what those consequences are?" The Head of the Unspeakables rose up and went to the center of the room, magically unfolding a map of Magical Great Britain and Ireland, with all Houses and Families with their possessions shown, with territories of House Le Fay being framed by glowing blue border lines.

"This is the map of all holdings of Magical Britain and Ireland, with all Houses' lands and properties shown here. And these," He pointed with his want at the glowing patch of Britain, before pointing at the Albion's Hearth with his wand. "Are the lands, which have in ancient times belonged to one of two Royal and Exalted Houses of Great Britain. The lands that exude their own powerful magic across the entirety of the territories and mark them as the domain of that said House. For over 700 years that magic has been dormant, until it was reactivated from its central point."

"Which House are you referring to, Unspeakable?" Frank Longbottom, seated with his wife and son in the first row, asked of the wizard. "My House's lands, as well as many other Houses' lands, are within that domain, and if what you are saying is true, then the said House would be fully in the right to demand our allegiance, since we literally are living within their domain."

"The House I am referring to, Lord Longbottom, is the House of Morgana Le Fay." Many Wizards and Witches let out dramatic sighs and exclamations at hearing it. "It is confirmed information: Exalted and Royal House Le Fay has returned."

"That is preposterous and utter rubbish!" Nathan Jones, Head of House Jones, which was also situated in Le Fay's lands, exclaimed, nearly scaring his daughter and sons. "House Le Fay has been extinct for centuries, without any descendants or even hints on those. How can this House be back? Did they rise from the grave?"

"We do not know for certain, but we believe that an Heir Claimant had appeared and was able to obtain the title of Prince Le Fay, before confirming it via activation of Le Fay family's magic." Croaker speculated. "Despite how or when Prince Le Fay had appeared, there is one undeniable fact, and that is the fact of House Le Fay, being a Royal House, being able to command the loyalties of all magical beings in the region they control, if they become his vassals, as well as all the Noble Houses of lower rank than his, which includes all 39 Noble Houses that live there."

"Pft, why would anyone decide to ever even ally themselves with some upstart with no name and probably false claim?" William Potter spoke up arrogantly, with Dumbledore looking at him with a small glare. "What is the point for any Wizard or Witch to do so? I mean, maybe those beasts and half-breeds may be dumb enough to fall for him, but proper Wizards and Witches..." William was to continue his tirade, before Henry decided to finally shut him up with a cough, getting the attention of everyone.

"Young man, perhaps your parents or you teachers haven't explained it to you, or you've perhaps simply skipped class on this lesson, but there is a very viable and good reason to do so." William glared at Harry, as did Lily, James and their friends, not even recognizing him, while Remus' eyes widened, as his newly grown arm ached from pain.

"The magic of Le Fay family empowers the very ground and air in their domain, and said magic can also serve to empower individual races, Houses, families, even singular Wizards and Witches. Those that make the pledge to be a vassal to House Le Fay, will in turn for their loyalty and a determined measure of profits in whatever form, will be able to enjoy the fact of being empowered by magical energy of House Le Fay, which strengthens the Wizard or Witch, as well as races. Along with that, they can always be certain that their interests are protected and that they can always count on House Le Fay to help them out in hard times. Magical Races, of which the correct term is beings, not beasts or half-breeds, also enjoy said benefit, and along with magical people, are governed not by the laws of Ministry, which can be overwhelmingly xenophobic and unjust, but by more equal and justifiable laws of House Le Fay." Henry ended his tale, with William glaring at him.

"Just who the hell do you think you are to interrupt me?!" He rose up shouting at Harry, who didn't even bat an eye. "Don't you know who I am? I am William Potter, the Boy Who Lived and…"

"Mr. Potter, please calm down and be seated." Dumbledore spoke up, forcing William to look at him with anger, yet comply, before he turned his gaze at the man in question. "Now, young man, I am sure you've meant no ill by your statements, but you did interrupt Mr. William Potter without any courtesy."

"Oh, I do apologize then, but I've gotten the feeling that people in this chamber would rather hear mature speech, instead of… ranting of an arrogant child who is too focused on what people claim him to be, instead of what he really is." Harry looked at a seething with venom William, while James rose up, while many of the Dark and some Neutral families chuckled.

"You dare to insult my son, the Boy Who Lived and my Heir, in such a manner?!" James nearly shouted at Harry, who simply chuckled at him. "I will not have some nobody street urchin speaking of anyone in my family in such manner. Apologize now, or I will make you sorry you were born."

"If there is anyone I am insulting, than it would be actually you, Lord Potter." Harry stated without missing a beat. "Clearly, the child like that, who has no knowledge of finer laws of magic or even understanding of them, as well as who rants out like a toddler, is a result of poor and abysmal upbringing by his parents. You sir, and your lady wife, have done an excellent job raising, in my personal opinion, an utter disgrace of a Noble Wizard. Also, you'd duel me just because I say what I can assure you is in minds of most of the room here? And without even asking for my name, hm?"

"Fine, who the hell are you?!" James shouted at him, with Harry raising up, fixing up his coat, before answering.

"I am Prince Henry Arthur Le Fay, Head of Exalted and Royal House Le Fay and Lord of Exalted and Noble House of Slytherin, Ruler and Protector of Northern Britannia, and the topic of your most current discussion." The entire room fell silent, as they've taken a look at the man, as he descended down to the podium.

Henry didn't have any haste in his movements, practically basking in the way of how everyone looked at him as he walked down the steps. He took in their shock and awe, with Light families fidgeting in fright at the fact of literal Prince Le Fay _and _Lord Slytherin appearing here, while Neutral and Dark families studied him with interest and some small fright, but not all were like one. Tracey looked with wide eyes at the man that made her heart warm and flutter, as she studied him in his movements and body language. The more she looked on at him, the more vivid the picture came to her mind, until the curiosity outweighed her fright and she attempted to probe ever so slightly into his mind with her Leggimence.

An act that didn't escape Henry, as he smirked a little, before letting Tracey into a very specific corner of his mind, showing her something that only he and her knew of. He knew that friend of House Greengrass and his former lover was a brilliant witch, smarter and wiser than most, an equal in mind to him. She could easily tell the signs and compile them, find patterns and more, just like she had helped him when he dealt with Voldemort and Basilisk in their sixth and seventh years. He was almost sure that she had already had suspicions of who he was from the way he looked at her and even his own eyes, and so he decided to simply give her the answer. Harry knew that she would not share it with anyone, not even with her family, especially given their Blood Oath to each other: never to hold secrets from each other, but to safeguard our secrets from all others.

Tracey's mind entered, and in a flash her eyes widened, as in her mind was displayed the picture of her and Harry Potter, embracing each other and kissing in their beloved spot, underneath the tree in shade. It was their most tender and sacred moment, one in which Tracey had given herself to someone she loved and never looked back, and none had known of it, only her… and Harry. She looked at him with widened eyes and saw how he looked back at her for a second, before sending her with his Leggimence a single thought.

"_You are even more beautiful then I remember you in my dreams, my Isis."_ Tracey's eyes welled up with tears, which she quickly hid away from her friend Daphne, while Harry reached the podium.

He saw the fright of House Potter, which had silenced them at last, causing him to internally smirk, as he held their fate in his very hands. The looks of fear on the faces of James, Lily, Sirius, Remus and even William… He was almost giddy himself. At the same time, Dumbledore was trying to subtly probe his mind, but to no avail, being met by a powerful barrier, thanks to a small Le Fay family's pin that prevented any intrusion into his mind. Minister, unsupported by his Undersecretary, was practically sweating in the presence of Prince Le Fay, unable to find the right words at the moment. Arcturus, Cassiopeia and Rose all smirked at the sight of what was happening, while Lucius Malfoy was aghast and with no words of his own, much like his wife and son.

They have tried relentlessly to gain the information about what had happened, as well as to get the audience with Arcturus Black, but they were unsuccessful on all fronts. The Dark Lord wanted results and they needed to deliver, but this… This was something they couldn't have expected. Prince Le Fay _and _Lord Slytherin at the same time, not to mention appearing like this and even challenging the might of Potters in such a brazing and bold action. This man has effectively captivated the entirety of Wizarding Nobility and the Ministry, but has also challenged the Dark Lord's power and position. Such a variable wasn't something that Lucius Malfoy could've prepared for to deal with, and once every one of his comrades in Inner Circle tells Dark Lord of this… He could only prey to Morgana that he would be merciful.

Dumbledore coughed a little, gaining the attention of Henry Le Fay, speaking up.

"I am sorry, milord, but we may've misheard you." Dumbledore spoke up. "You have stated that you are also a Lord Slytherin, if I am not mistaken."

"Chief Warlock, would you please drop this act, it is almost an agonizing to look at it. Start acting like a grown man you are." Harry shut Dumbledore up in a polite and quiet manner, making sure that only Dumbledore, Amelia Bones and Minister heard it all, before turning his attention to everyone. "Yes, Chief Warlock, I am Prince Le Fay and _the _Lord Slytherin, direct descendant of Queen Morgana Le Fay and Salazar Slytherin. In blood runs the magic and might of them both, might and magic that have reawakened the power of House Le Fay."

"Those are some very bold words, which are not quite founded on any facts." Evan Rosier spoke up, but with no insult in his words, drawing the attention of his Death Eaters colleagues. "Would you care to provide us with solid proof of your lineage, because so far, while your words are many and loud, there is little evidence to believe in any of them?"

"I, Henry Arthur Le Fay, swear upon my magic, that I am the true son of Morgana Le Fay and her Heir, and that I am of blood of Salazar Slytherin and the true Lord Slytherin, having claimed my titles and by right taken them." Golden glow from Henry confirmed his words, as he raised his left hand, and snapped his fingers, lighting them on fire, before letting out the fire. "I believe the very magic has proven my words to be true, Lord Rosier. I can understand the confusion, given the fact that in the past, one individual known as Voldemort had claimed to be an Heir of Slytherin. I can assure you all that where he was merely a pretender, I am the true Lord Slytherin, and I am in mood to relinquish my titles and blood."

"You speak his name so boldly, milord. Many here would think to be brave, but many more would claim you to be a fool." Theodor Nott Senior, Head of House Nott, spoke up in a near sneering manner, with Harry turning his head to him and looking at him calmly. "You may be wise to speak more carefully, good lord Le Fay. You never know when your words may get wrongly interpreted."

"Lord Nott, titles and names are only as powerful and intimidating as you make them be. I call things as they are, and calling that fan of French poetics as He Who Must Not Be Named just does unearned honor and dignity." Harry simply stated him. "Such as with his _possible _slayer, so called The Boy Who Lived." Harry turned his head towards Potters, with James and William seething from anger, but it was Sirius who spoke up.

"You doubt that my godson is the one responsible for defeat of Voldemort? Everyone knows that William has slain him with his magic." Sirius sneered at him. "You yourself are but hot air and bark with no bite."

"Am I? Mr. Black, do please tell me: where is the solid proof of that statement?" Harry asked of him and everyone else.

"My son was the only one left alive there, with Dark Lord gone. Headmaster Dumbledore himself have proclaimed him as the one to vanquish Voldemort." Lily spoke up, but in a more reserved manner than her husband and friend. "Prince Le Fay, what is the point of your words, when everyone knows the truth?"

"Do they, Lady Potter?" Harry asked in an amused tone, before turning to Professor Dumbledore. "And how exactly were you able to determine the so-called divinity of a toddler and that it was he that ended Voldemort? If my memory serves me correctly, I seem to recall that he wasn't actually alone there. There were actually three children there, not to mention two excellent and immensely powerful persons, Charlus Potter and Dorea Potter-Black. Excuse me all, but I'd rather believe that the two of them have been too much to handle for Voldemort, rather than that a year old toddler had peed on him dissolved him." Actual laughter was heard throughout the hall, with James and William near the breaking point of patience, but they were stopped when Professor Dumbledore spoke up.

"Prince Le Fay, let us not stray away from the matter at hand." Dumbledore spoke up, with Harry simply shrugging at that.

"If you wish to spare yourself the embarrassment of being proven wrong, be my guest." Harry allowed Dumbledore, but instead of turning to him, he turned to the Minister of Magic. "Minister Fudge, I presume? You have awfully quiet this entire time, sir. One would think that you were made mute by the overwhelming presence of so many titular persons: The Boy Who Lived, The Leader of Light, The Abysmal Parents and so on."

"Ah, n-no, no!" Fudge shook himself off out of shock, as he straightened up, before speaking up, as Head of the Noble Houses snickered at his expense. "Prince Le Fay, while we all enjoy a little bit of humor every now and then, do please behave yourself, like a true member of the Wizarding Society you are supposed to be." Fudge seemingly reprimanded Henry Le Fay, who simply nodded to him.

"Of course, I was going out of line there for I bit. Thank you for reprimanding me." Harry shot him a small smile, before turning to everyone. "Now, since I believe I have your absolute and undivided attention, I shall cut to chase, as non-magicals like to say it. I am here to inform you all that I am here, and I do intend to restore my House's power and prosperity, but you have nothing to fear of me. I understand that my House has quite a fearsome reputation, and I can assure you, that I have no interest in making unwanted enemies. However, should someone, anyone try to cross me in any way, I will respond swiftly and without any mercy. I will not permit any threat upon my lands, my subjects and all those that live in my domain, be they self-proclaimed and self-titled Light Wizards, or those that have chosen to side with the Dark, and anyone in between."

"Prince Le Fay, your words… I can't help but see them as a threat to everyone here." Minister spoke up. "You can't just act in such a way. You are a member of Magical Britain and therefore you must follow the laws that Ministry has approved, the Ministry to which you are a subject."

"Minister, I fear that you may need to consult a specialist on such matters, because while I may be _technically_ a subject of Ministry, but in reality it is a fair bit more complicated than that." Harry stated to him. "The only person to whom I am full subject, is the current ruling King of Queen of Britain. And as for my status with the Ministry, as well as the status of my lands, I may adhere to more critical laws of Ministry, those that touch upon Statute of Secrecy and matters of equal importance, but in the other matters… I hold the full power and autonomy when it comes to executing my power within my domain. However, I am quite to a certain level of cooperation with Ministry and your Office, Minister. And, I believe, Lady Bones, as head of DMLE, will be happy to report that I may be a very powerful ally to you, especially when our interests align."

"Amelia, wh-what does this all mean?" Minister Fudge asked of her, with many asking the same thing in their minds.

"Prince Le Fay has offered his help to the Department of Aurors in exterminating a serious threat of Acromantula infestation." Amelia spoke up, with Dumbledore's eyes widening a little, as he looked at Amelia, and then at Henry. "For the last 40 or so years, Acromantulas have been multiplying and spreading throughout northern part of our island without any check or control. They have spread as far as Northern and Central England, Wales and Scotland, with a number of small towns and villages falling victim to them. The number of victims reached over 4000 non-magicals, the risk of our world's exposure has reached critical levels without our knowledge. Only thanks to Prince Le Fay were we able to prevent the catastrophe and exterminate the threat in an effective and conclusive manner, having tracked its origin point to the Forbidden Forest and destroyed the main colony of Acromantulas, along with every spider on an island."

"Forbidden Forest? Y-You mean to tell us that there was a giant colony of man-eating giant Spiders… right in Hogwarts' backyard?!" Minister, along with many, looked shocked and outraged, with Harry taking his turn to speak up.

"Oh yes, it has been there for quite some time if, what I have heard is to be believed. Although, I can't help but wonder, how come nobody seemed to be aware of it, nor did anyone do anything for that matter?" Harry asked seemingly nobody, before turning to Dumbledore. "Chief Warlock, are you not the current Headmaster of Hogwarts? I believe I speak for everyone when asking you, how did such thing escape your notice?"

"Prince Le Fay, I do not believe that it is your right to ask such questions of me." Dumbledore said with steel.

"But it is _my_ right and duty to ask such questions." Amelia Bones spoke up, drawing the attention. "And I _will _be asking them of you, Headmaster, because those creatures have come far too close to exposing our world, and have become a cause of death of thousands. Your gatekeeper Hagrid, the man responsible for their appearance and multiplication, as well as confirmed smuggler of illegal and dangerous magical creatures, has already paid for his crimes when he resisted the execution of the operation, going as far as to try and attack the Aurors. Should I find out that you have in any way, willingly or not, with or without your knowledge, have assisted him, I will make sure to make you answer for _every_ crime committed because of that." Dumbledore looked in shock at the fact that Hagrid was actually dead, as did many of his supporters.

"W-Well… I believe that today was quite an eventful gathering of the Wizengamot, and as the Minister, I declare to be over." Minister proclaimed in a shocked and astonished manner, before he turned to Prince Le Fay. "Prince Le Fay, this entire matter is quite complex, and I do hope that we will be able to discuss it in a more private and informal manner, so as to smooth the rough edges."

"I do believe that it would be prudent and quite possible, Minister." Harry stated. "But before everyone leaves, I do have two announcements to make, if I may?"

"O-Of course." Minister allowed.

"Thank you." Henry bowed to him. "First of all, as a sign of good will and intention to build strong ties with you all, I announce a Ball, which shall be held in honor of anniversary of establishment of Ministry of Magic, on August 21st. All those that are present here and all your friends and family are most welcome to come and taste the hospitality of House Le Fay in its home, Albion's Hearth. I welcome each and every one of you, with Minister himself most profoundly, to come and see for yourself the true face of House Le Fay."

"A most generous offer, Prince Le Fay, and I do believe that I shall be taking you up on that." Minister of Magic smiled to him. "And what is your second announcement, if I may ask? Is there a Lady Le Fay already that you wish to introduce us to?" Cornelius asked in a joking manner.

"Not quite, Minister." Harry said to him, while he motioned for Rose to come down. "It is a customary tradition to announce one's Heir or Heiress before all of Wizengamot, to ensure that in case of an unwarranted tragedy, the House and Title were left in capable hands. And while I do not see myself succumbing to any ill fate any time soon, I do wish to make it clear to everyone, that House Le Fay _has _a rightful Heiress." Rose came up to her brother, still hooded, with Harry winking to her, as she put her hands upon the hood. "Lords and Ladies, may I present to you all the Heiress of House Le Fay, my blood and sister, daughter to Queen Morgana Le Fay, Rose Morgana Le Fay, formerly of House Potter."

As Harry said those words, Rose pulled away her hood, revealing herself to everyone, as her flaming red hair flowed out, coupled with her emerald warm eyes. Even though she was still barely 15 years of old, she stood just half a head shorter than her tall older brother, with her figure already showing signs of being a great beauty. But not her beauty had served her just now to silence everyone, but her very presence has put the shock to everyone, especially the Potters and Weasleys, not to mention Dumbledore. She looked the people that had hurt her the most throughout her life, and couldn't help but let out a small smirk, as she spoke up.

"Lords and Ladies, I, Rose Morgana Le Fay, swear upon my magic, that I am whom my brother Henry Arthur Le Fay claims me to be, and that I am a former daughter of James and Lily Potter, having left the House of Potter out of fear for my safety and prosperity." Magic confirmed her words, with the shock only becoming stronger among people. "You all have heard me correctly, and magic has confirmed it. Yes, I am a former daughter of House Potter, but I have fled it, having lost the single true sibling I had and finding myself not just unwanted, but nearly sold out like cattle to House Weasley, as a bride to their youngest son, a detestable, vile and crude boy, much like my former blood brother William." Uproar was incoming, and Dumbledore had tried to rein the girl in.

"Ms. Potter, stop spouting such nonsense, before I'll be forced to…" Dumbledore tried to stop her, but was met by a powerful glare of young Witch.

"I am Le Fay, Professor, not Potter. Do remember it well, Headmaster." Rose stated, before turning to the public. "Lords and Ladies, the image that these people have put in front of them is nothing but a ruse. For most of my life, I was nothing but an unwanted addition to their family, an unwanted child, as was my brother Harry Potter, the very one who, in this very room, has been convicted of the crime he did not commit, yet died in Azkaban because of it. He was the single person in our family to love and care for me, when not even my very own mother would even give me the smallest amounts of affection and love. Instead, she and her husband had berated me for simply existing, for things I had no part in, and just out of sheer spite, before they decided to do away with me for good through marriage to a disgraced and vile family of Weasley. I would've been dead, either because of Peter Pettigrew that had tried to strike me down, or from taking my own life to prevent myself from enduring the hell any longer, had it not been for Prince Le Fay and my true family, House of Black." The auditorium looked in shock at Arcturus, who simply smirked.

"I tell you this, good Wizards and Witches, that House Potter, the proud, noble and great one, is dead, and in his stead stands but a vile atrocity that hides behind glitter and shines." Rose continued. "I left House of Potter because I could not endure it any longer, and my brother died because of their schemes and hatred, and let magic prove my words right!" And golden glow had proven Rose's words true.

The utter chaos broke out as Rose had said her last words, as the proverbial bomb exploded with a force of a nuclear warhead. The Wizengamot had descended into an utter anarchy from the revelations, which were founded and based upon magic, the most powerful tool of all. And even though those that may know that Harry Potter wasn't physically dead, he was, as a person and spiritually, all gone, which magic had taken into the account, seeing Henry Le Fay as a different person entirely. As the Heads of the Houses descended into frenzy at House Potter and their friends, while most of the Ministry workers had tried to stop this to no avail, Le Fay family, along with a few dozen more sensible ones took their leave from the room.

Before the pair had apparated out of the Ministry through one of their exits, Rose, seeing as none were looking at the moment too profoundly at them, slipped a piece of paper to Harry, before speaking up.

"Tracey says that you are a dead man, brother, and somehow, she figured out you are whom she had been shagging all those years ago. Care to elaborate?" She asked of him, with Harry simply sighing to her and speaking up.

"Remember I told you about our oath we made, when we were fooling around with Blood Magic in our fourth year?" Rose nodded. "I can't lie to her, nor can she do the same to me, even in thoughts, because of our oath, and when it comes to brain department, she is as smart as I am. And… We've been together for a long time and I didn't forget it."

"Smarter, actually, but that is me being subjective." Rose simply said to him. "And neither did she forget, if her tears are any indications. Just make sure that she understands your position and that you now also have Nymphadora in the same category as her." Rose said to him as she transported herself out of Ministry.

Harry looked down at the piece of paper and unfolded it, seeing the writing of Tracey Davis.

"_Where you first met me. Tomorrow at dawn."_

* * *

**Hm, not all too sure if this chapter went alright or not, but I am honestly a bit exhausted so I think I will leave it at that. Now, a little bit of explaining about Tracey Davis and why I've made her like that.**

**I've checked with Potterwiki, and there is ZERO information on how she looks exactly, and I have seen many different variants, but usually going in the same direction. So, seeing how I couldn't get much information about her, I decided to go my own way. So, she is a half-blood Witch, but not part of nobility, like Daphne Greegrass, who is out of consideration in romance department, sorry. As for her looks, she took largely after her mother, an African witch, while she also gained her Dad's eyes. As for her smarts, she is Harry's equal, and can be a one mean menacing witch. She is also looked down upon by most Wizards, as they see her as just a half-blooded bastard with a mixed blood, so she bonded with Harry because the two were outcasts and grew close, _very close_.**

**Oh yeah, don't even think about the ISIS jokes, I know what you are all thinking. Do remember that Isis is also the name of one of prime Egyptian goddesses, reprisenting magic, feminine ideal and motherhood, not to mention power and healing. You have been warned.**

**Next time: Old and new lovers; Rose, Lily and Faye**


	12. Chapter 12

**August the 1****st****. Hogsmeade.**

Crack of the apparition sounded in the sleepy village, located a small distance away from Hogwarts. Henry looked around, seeing that the village was still largely sleeping, as he fixed up the collar of his coat, as he moved past it. He wasn't fearful of either Dumbledore or his cronies tailing him, or catching the wind of him being so close to their de-facto headquarters. He has shielded himself via several charms, as well as one of House Le Fay's artifacts, which would make certain that his magical trail wasn't traced. And along with that, Dumbledore and his cohorts have had their hands full, dealing with the massive storm that Harry had caused them in the Wizengamot yesterday.

Yesterday was the golden mine for the journalists, as todays' newspapers would be brim filled with all kinds of headlines and stories about him. He was already guessing just what kind of rubbish Rita Skitter would write up about him, although she was strangely absent during the meeting in the Wizengamot, not that she was missed by anyone.

Harry certainly didn't miss her, considering that he owed a _very _great deal of his original infamy to that horrendously dressed harlot, who eat out of Potters' palm stories about how dark and bad he was. And from what Rose had told him about her writings about his trial… It was safe to state that Rita Skitter won't be getting any exclusives from Prince Le Fay. And speaking of exclusive interviews, he'd have to find someone for that role, someone who could write up the truthful and backed up by facts story, not to mention who would make a good PR messenger for Prince Le Fay.

But for now he decided to leave those thoughts out of his mind, instead focusing up on what was really important to him at that moment. And that was his first love and girlfriend, and a quite possible wife, had things turned out differently, Tracey Davis. If there was ever someone whom Harry had trusted to the same extent as Rose, Nymphadora and Cassiopeia Black, it would have to be Tracey Davis, his first friend, his closest friend and later on, his lover.

Their relations have formed up from the fact that the rest of Slytherin House had despised them and saw them as weaklings and beneath the general class. Even Snape regarded them just as badly as he belittled those of non-magical origin, despite the two being his very best students in nearly every field. At first, the two seemed to be on route to becoming rivals in studies, but as the stigma of outcasts settled in, and Tracey's only friend, Daphne Greengrass, had distanced herself from Davis because of her own reputation, Harry and Tracey found themselves growing closer and closer.

They started to hang out with one another, first making up their own small study group of just two of them, and then later experimenting with some of the more obscure and forbidden forms of magic. One such field of magic turned out to Blood Magic, which they decided to try and practice, which was an incredibly foolish move for the two second year students. They evidently had made a mess of things, when they've formed up a Blood Oath between the two of them, which bound them for life to a certain condition.

Such Oaths, or Pacts as they are also known, can enforce Wizards and Witches to do something that they may not want. For an example with Harry and Tracey, they made an Oath to tell and hold no lies from one another, but also to not reveal the secrets of one another. And as they've soon discovered after that, they were utterly unable to hold any truth from one another, when Harry had truthfully admitted to Tracey that she was just as important to him as Rose was. Tracey was in shock, before blurting out that she has been crushing on him probably since the end of their first year.

This and some other revelations had put a small dent on their relations, forcing them to keep a distance from one another for a bit. However, not two weeks later, the two were back together, only now learning to trust one another even more with their truths. As it turned out, they adjusted quite well to it, so much so, that by the beginning of their third year, they were officially dating one another, and in their fourth year, they've admitted their love for one another, before consummating it.

Harry and Tracey were secretive of their relations, and for a good reason. Very few knew of it, with Rose and Nymphadora being included. Neither had wanted to become something that their enemies could use against each other, which in their case, they considered most of today's members of Light and Dark families. Not even Daphne Greengrass, who had later managed to see past her folly and rebuild her friendship with Tracey, and later become a friend to Harry himself, didn't know of her two friends' relationship. It was something very precious to Harry and Tracey, something that had silently vowed to protect no matter what.

Their relations had proceeded throughout the entire course of their learning in Hogwarts, all the way until Harry's trial, when he had to make a choice between saving his sister and damning himself to Azkaban, or speaking the truth and still damning himself, but also Rose. He knew that there were no alternatives, not with Ministry and Dumbledore working against him, so he chose to sack himself, and break the vow to Tracey.

He could still remember her eyes filled with tears and how he stayed off her with his mere gaze at her. Memories of them being together had been among the most favored and delicious snacks to Dementors, but Harry had managed to preserve it all in his mind, keeping it all to himself. To a certain degree, those memories had saved him in Azkaban, along with memories of Rose and his true family.

It has been over two years now, and as Harry approached a small clearing some distance away from Hogsmeade, he once more gazed at the beauty that was Tracey. She stood there, waiting for him, eyes locked on to him, studying him, analyzing and waiting for him. Harry had carried the memory of them throughout the entire stay in Azkaban, and even though he was now sharing his heart with Nymphadora, he could never abandon or forsake what he had with Tracey.

Just one look at her inflamed the feelings inside his heart once more, and Nym knew of those feelings, and she knew how much Tracey meant to Harry. He was honest with her yesterday, when they were alone in his room, and Nym took it surprisingly well, stating that she always knew that Tracey was someone absolutely special for him, and she wouldn't stand between them. So she accepted the fact of her lover still loving his first love, and allowed him to go to her and talk to her.

Harry knew that he and Tracey would have much to talk about, and that he would be completely and utterly honest with her, not just because of the Oath, but also because he wanted to be honest with her. As he reached the clearing of the ridge, that overlooked the thick forests below the hill and far away in the distance, Tracey looked at him and spoke up.

"Do you remember how we first met one another?" Tracey asked of him, with Harry nodding to her. "We were both looking for a spot to study in quiet, and both ended up here through our separate ways."

"And we've argued for a better half of an hour before we decided to simply sit on the opposite sides of it, each having turned our backs to one another, seemingly buried in our books." Harry said to Tracey. "And can't say for you, but I personally was stealing quite a few glances at you."

"So was I, when I knew you weren't leering at me." Harry and Tracey chuckled a little. "You never did have much of a talent to keep such things hidden, didn't you?"

"Not from you, especially if I wanted to a certain degree to be found out." Harry said softly to her, taking a few steps closer to her, with Tracey not stepping away from him. "Tracey, I… I know you must be mad at me…"

"Mad?" She repeated, with her ember eyes flashing up with anger, but also welling up with tears. "Do you think I am mad at you, Harry? Do you think that I am mad at the man I've loved, who had decided to go to Azkaban for the crime he didn't commit? Do you think that I am mad at the fact that for the last two years, I've spent near every waking moment of my life mourning you and trying to move on?! Is that what you think?!" Tracey screamed at him, with Harry not even flinching.

"Yes." Harry admitted to her without any hesitation, their Pact in action. "That and the fact that chose to do what I did, instead of trying to fight on, like I used to do. Weren't you mad at me for that?"

"Of bloody course I was mad at you! I was bloody furious that you've seemingly given up, but that's _nothing_, compared to the realization that the man I love, the man I've given my heart to, was taken away from me!" Tracey screamed at him, as her tears began to fall without any restraint. "Two years, Harry… I-It took me _two agonizing _years, j-just to start thinking about moving on, f-for the pain to settle down a little. And then you come back, like a blessing, or a curse…" She said in a weak voice to him, not bothering with the tears running on her chocolate dark skin.

"I didn't know how much you were hurt, not even remotely, but it was an agony for me too to do what I did. And in hindsight… I may've done differently if I had the chance to turn it all back." Harry admitted to Tracey.

"Then why didn't you do it back then, why not stand your ground and fight on?" Tracey demanded to know of from Harry. "Why, Harry? Why didn't you tell them the truth? I was there, and I had helped you find out what was going on, I could've testified for you. I would've even shared your fate, just to be with you, but instead… Why didn't you tell them the truth, Harry?"

"Because if I did so, I would be condemning not just myself, but also Rose to Azkaban, Tracey." Harry said to her in a grim tone of voice, with Tracey looking at him with slightly widened eyes. "You of all people know how much I care about those that are my true family, those that are truly important to me. Can you imagine me _ever_ putting Rose into any kind of danger? And do you think I would ever allow _you_ to suffer alongside me?"

"No, you would die before letting Rose get hurt, and Dumbledore with others knew it all too well." Tracey said in a calmer tone of voice, with Harry nodding to her. "This is why you've never considered making our relations official and known in public. You've always been afraid of it being used against us."

"Used agaisnt those that I love, as it was done. I can bear with pain done to me, but not to the others." Harry admitted to her, with Tracey smiling to him a little.

"You were always a bit of a naïve hero, Harry… And I am glad that you still are." Tracey said to him. "Even though the looks have changed significantly, I can still see the real you. However, do you mind explaining, how did you manage to get out of Azkaban and find yourself becoming Prince Le Fay of all things?"

"After the Triwizard Tournament and return of Voldemort, Amelia Bones was contacted by Rose, who was in the hiding with our aunt Cassiopeia Black. She provided Bones the evidence of me not being guilty and fighting Tom Riddle reborn. After checking the records of the trial and finding it to be rubbish, she came to me in Azkaban in the beginning of July and offered a deal: I'm getting out in exchange for destroying Voldemort. I agreed, and with the help Andromeda Tonks, her daughter and one other Auror, they've orchestrated my death in the dungeons of Azkaban, before transporting my unconscious form to Cassiopeia for recovery." Harry explained to Tracey. "After I've recovered to a certain degree, Nym informed me that in light of my death, Potters had now wanted to obtain my vaults and treasures of Houses Potter and Peverell, which turned out to be mine all along. I rushed to Gringotts, where I've exposed a corrupt Goblin accountant, before Ragnok, my new accountant and head of Gringotts in England, had me take a blood test. It revealed that I was a former Horcrux of Voldemort, having absorbed a piece of his soul in me, and through that, and my blood, I was an Heir Claimant to both House Slytherin and House Le Fay. After Morgana Le Fay herself had tested me, she had made me in magic and blood her son and Prince Le Fay." Harry took a breath, with Tracey blinking a couple of times after hearing it all.

"I know that it all sounds crazy, but it is true. I, along with Rose, are now biologically and magically children of Morgana Le Fay and Arthur Pendragon." Harry continued. "I've hatched a scheme with Ragnok to let Potters have access to two of my vaults, each one from Potter and Peverell Houses respectively, to make it seem that they were now the only Potters left alive, while in reality they've been ousted from the House because of breaking the Magical Code. They may be spending my money, but at the same time, they are being indebted to me without their own knowledge, and when I'll want, I'll grab all the money they've cashed and then some more. I know it sounds convoluted and too complex for its own good, but…"

"You needed to leave not a single trail of your continued existence linger, and your account in Gringotts would've alerted the Potters and Dumbledore, leaving you exposed and vulnerable." Tracey concluded, interrupting Harry. "Let them have what they want, play into their hands and make them lower their vigilance, while being left to move about and around unopposed. A plan truly worthy of Lord Slytherin, one that you now hold, but that still doesn't mean there are some things I am not entirely sure of, even with our Oath to each other, Harry."

"Then why not take the answers right out of my head then, Tracey?" Harry asked of her. "You are a born Telepath, a natural Leggimence and Occlumency user. My mind would tell you everything that you'd need to know, and no false memory, feeling or anything of that sort would be enough to fool you."

"And you know that I do not use my abilities as freely as I used to in Hogwarts." Tracey reminded him. "Not to mention that even with our Oath… I wanted us to be able to trust each other, to know that one won't pry each other's secrets without permission. And you remember just how much it had hurt me in the past, how much hate and bad thoughts of everyone had hurt me." She put her hand on the small silver medallion with ember on it.

It was one of the very first gifts that Harry had made to Tracey, first as to his friend. It was a rare amulet that could shield one's mind from probing by Leggimence and Telepathy, but also could weaken the powers of a Telepath, prevent her powers from being active all the time. Tracey's powers have been inherited from her father, a very powerful Telepath, something that was a very rare sight in the Magical World.

Along with the Metamorphs, like Nymphadora, Telepaths were a very hard to come, and most preferred not officiate them being such. Telepaths bore a stigma of being invaders into minds of others and being able to alter it to their own design. There used to be a great number of Telepaths present in the world, but the Witch Hunts, purging by hateful and distrustful Wizards and Witches, and hunting by various Ministries had reduced the numbers of mind readers from several thousand around the world to measly dozens.

Even to this day, British Ministry maintained not just a zealous watch out for Telepaths, but there were even rumors that those that were found out of being even suspected never were seen again. And Telepaths themselves had to learn to live with their powers, as well as fear of not just for their own lives, but also of their own powers, as they could be devastating to both them and their closest people. Tracey had to live with this fear for all of her life, and her telling this secret to Harry was the beginning of their relations, their trust in one another.

Harry stepped closer to Tracey, putting his hands into her, looking into her ember eyes and speaking softly and caringly to her.

"Yes, I know, and I remember how much you wanted us to have this kind of trust." Harry softly lifted her hands and placed her palms onto his head. "And now, I am placing my trust into your hands, my trust of my mind and soul. I will answer every question you ask me, Tracey, but I _want _to make it clear to you, that after everything that had happened and all this time, I trust and care for you the most."

"Harry, I…" She let out a sigh. "You won't be able to hide _anything _from me: feelings, memories, fantasies, plans, imagination. I will see it all, all of you and your soul and after that… Do you truly want it? I don't want to ruin the chance I have now, one where… Where there is hope of us…"

"Tracey, I _want _you to see me as I am true." Harry softly told her, rubbing her cheek affectionately. "I know you love me too much to simply invade my mind, but I want you to look into it, and see that I still love you enough to share soul with you." Tracey let out a defeated sigh, before the two closed their eyes and connected their foreheads.

For a Telepath to connect her mind to the others like that was to read their entire being, every single bit of their being. Tracey had done so several times, and every time, she had found people shunning her for that and for the fact that they've felt robbed. So she had sworn not to use it recklessly and without permission, and has never even dared to try it out with Harry. Harry knew why and respected her for it, but now… He wanted to hold no secrets with her, and he wasn't going to push her away. He wanted Tracey, he loved her and wanted to be with her, but he needed this to be true and pure, like it was with them before. This time, it wasn't Tracey's partner that would have to make a choice, but Tracey herself.

She felt her mind connecting with Harry's, and in the span of a real life seconds, she saw _years _of life and memories of her lover. Every single bit of feelings, pain, joy, happiness, sadness, everything mixed in and sorted at the same time. She saw his incarceration and his thoughts of her, how he suffered because of Dementors. She felt the pain he had, and the only thing that didn't break her contact with him was Harry himself, somehow easing the pain she received by the link. She had felt his fury and anger when he saw what Potters had done with Potters, as she had felt despair and even hopelessness at the sight of Rose near death at his eyes. She felt the warmth and love he felt for Nymphadora when she admitted her feelings to him, something that Tracey's heart felt a pang of hurt and jealousy. But the feeling of it was silenced when she was through with his mind and the leaving touch was her getting the read of his feelings towards her, what he felt and what he wanted with her.

Tracey saw and felt that Harry hasn't forgotten her, nor did he want her hurt, and he wouldn't want to let her go. But he would, if she had wanted it, if she no longer wanted to be with him and wanted to move on. He loved her just strongly and caringly as he did all those years ago, but he also shared a love with Nymphadora Tonks, a different, yet similar feeling. Tracey could sense and feel it all, see what he meant and what she meant to him. She disconnected from his mind and his head, opening her eyes and removing her hands off his face, as did he, before he spoke up to her.

"Now you know everything, Tracey." Harry told her, with Tracey looking at him with a near emotionless expression. "If you want to let it all go and move on, then…" Tracey hadn't given him a chance or a choice to finish up his sentence, when she smashed her lips right into his, pulling him towards herself with all her force.

Harry didn't waste any moment to reciprocate, as he embraced Tracey without hesitation, caringly holding her back and black hair. The kiss wasn't just pure love, but also raw passion and aggression, like a drug for the two of them. Tracey's tongue danced with Harry's, as she drank in the feelings and emotions that she hadn't felt for years. She had spent two years holding on to her love, their love for each other, praying to once more hold him in her arms and have him. And when she was starting to let go, he appeared again… And Tracey didn't hesitate to grab onto him and not let go anymore.

She was going to make sure that what they had, their passion, their love and lust for one another remained and were never broken again. And as for the condition he was now in with other women and additional wives… Tracey was a brilliant witch, and she would make do with it, not to mention reap the benefits, just like Nymphadora. After all, even in Hogwarts he had proven at times to be too much for her alone to handle, so a little help and entertainment would only be beneficial for them both.

She disconnected from him with a hunger in her eyes, before speaking up in a passionate and loving manner.

"I am not letting you go, and don't you even dare to be a hero like last time." She said to him, not letting go from her arms, before kissing one more time with passion.

"Never." He said between kisses.

"Hope you have the morning free, because you are mine, and I want you." She said in a lustful manner, before the two disappeared with a crack of apparition.

* * *

**Several hours later. London. Tracey's house.**

To say that Tracey had wanted Harry badly, would be saying nothing. Dark skinned goddess was always one to prefer actions over words, and what better way to find out if love, lust and passion still remained intact then through ravenous, wild and unstoppable act of love. Tracey had barely enough of a mind functioning properly to get them into her room, before that part of mind overtaken completely by her passionate and lustful side. Telepaths, in addition to being able to read any mind and feeling without trouble, were also emotionally more attuned people, feelings and emotions for them being stronger felt then for others, and Tracey's mind was overwhelmed with love which she felt for Harry, and earning of flesh, for which she developed a taste with and for Harry. And she had two years of hunger in her that she wanted sated.

They sated it together, going at each other like wild animals in the heat, with Tracey uncaringly literally ripping away their clothes and taking her lover in herself without stopping. Only after an hour did they calm a little from wild and passionate mating that the two had silently decided to continue it in a softer and caring way, as Harry worshipped Tracey slowly, lovingly and caringly. Dark skinned goddess was all for it, and enjoyed just as much as the wild sex they had before, when she took in every bit of his flesh with either her hands, her lips, tongue or her sex.

By the time the two were sated and finally tired, the comfortable and nice room that Tracey had always tried to keep as tidy as possible looked like there was a hurricane just a moment before. They lay bare in the bed, with Tracey resting her beautiful body on Harry's, as she took in their combined smells and spoke up with a smile.

"Mm, I've almost forgotten how wonderful it felt…" She said, as she looked up to him with a smile. "Lying in the bed like that, with us connected… You really my curse, Harry, but one that I'm only glad to have."

"Wouldn't you call it a blessing then, my Isis?" Harry caressed her naked body with his left hand. "I certainly believe you to be one for me." He kissed her in the lips.

"Mm, I just might, even though you see Nymphadora as blessing too." Tracey laid her head down on his chest, her voice carrying no ill. "But in lives like ours, we do need to count our blessings and keep them closer than ever. You can tell her that I am on board with that idea of hers, and that she's got my permission on having you take her, just like you did with me now."

"Are you really okay with it all?" Harry asked still, slowly running his hand through her soft hair. "I know how you wanted us to and…"

"I won't say that I wasn't distressed or hurt when I learned of it all in your mind, because it really hurt." She said truthfully to him. "For a split second, I felt betrayed and unwanted, like I was nothing more to you, especially after all we had. But then… I felt all you felt for me and I know that our love is unique and separate from one you and Nymphadora have. If anything I can see her being jealous and even hurt to some degree, since I have been in your heart and will remain as your first. And besides, if you really are going to be sharing life with multiple women, why not let us women enjoy the benefits of the big family. We might even form up our very own little Cabal." She looked at him with a look of cat that ate a canary.

"Since when did you become such a wanton and lustful Witch, my Isis?" Harry asked jokingly of her.

"Since I've had to endure two years without you in my bed." Tracey stated to him, kissing him and climbing on to him, having gotten a second wind. "Now shut up and fuck me." She ordered him, mounting him and taking his lips for her own.

Harry did just as his Isis had wanted him to.

* * *

**August the 3****rd****. Diagon Alley.**

A great number of Wizards and Witches of all ages stood just outside of the shop, with many reporters and photographers taking photos of what was happening inside. And that was Rose Morgana Le Fay, Heiress to House Le Fay and sister to current Prince Le Fay, former Potter and currently one of two most sought out persons by the press on Albion. She was waiting for her new Wand being made in the recently opened up wand maker shop, which she had been recommended to come into by Skadhi, who stated that the wand maker working there was of far better qualification than Garrick Ollivander.

Rose decided to follow the advice of her de-facto vassal, and has come here, along with Faye and three of her children, who had decided, along with Rose, to buy the needed things for school. They were mostly through, until Rose had decided to go to the aforementioned wand shop, accompanied by the Black family, which instantly came under siege, when someone had finally realized who Rose really was and with whom she was in Diagon Alley.

Faye looked outside, nearly closing her eyes from the flash of camera, before speaking up.

"And I thought that photographers in US were insufferable, but this is just ridiculous. At least there they had the manners to leave people to their own devices when shopping, but here…" Faye shook her head.

"It's almost like we are on a photo shoot for all those naughty magazines that Percy keeps under his bed." Lyra Cassiopeia Black, Faye and Regulus' eldest daughter, smirked when she looked at her brother's scandalized look.

"For the hundredth time, I don't keep 'em under my bed. When will you let go of it, sis?" Perseus Orion Black glared at his younger sister, who simply stuck her tongue out.

"Children, please don't give those vultures any more possible gossip then necessary." Faye lightly chided her eldest children, shaking her head, before turning to look at her third child. "Have you chosen the elements for your wand, Sigrun?" Sigrun Iris Black turned to her mother nodded.

"Yes, Mom." Sigrun she showed the wood and the core, which she then placed on the table with the rest for the time, before glancing at the gathered crowd and back at her mom with a bit of a pleading look. "Can't we go home after that? I mean, not like Grandpa's house, but our home? I don't want to go to that Hogwarts. I want to stay in Illvermony, with all of my friends."

"I'm sorry, dear, but we can't. Even though I want it more than anything." Faye sincerely said to her, as she came closer and hugged. "Your Daddy and I never wanted to send you three there, but it was out of his hands, because the cunning Headmaster of Hogwarts decided to play tricks on us all. I may've studied in the Hogwarts, Sigrun, but I'd much rather not have you attend it. I know it will be hard for you, and I don't blame you for wanting to go home, but we don't have a choice." She caringly rubbed her daughter's black mane of hair, as she hugged her protectively.

Rose glanced at this family, with a small smile on her lips and a pang of sadness in the heart. She couldn't help imagine herself being in place of Sigrun, with Faye hugging her like this, not Lily though. She honestly couldn't see Lily Potter as a mother material or simply as a mother. In the past, Rose would've willingly given both her arms to have a mom like Faye for her and Harry, one that is protective, caring and loving, like a real mother should be. And it showed that Faye was a truly good mother, as it was projected from her children.

Perseus Orion Black looked like a younger version of Regulus, but with his mother's fiery red hair and emerald eyes, making him look like a Weasley. But instead of irritation or need to vomit, Rose felt herself comfortable around him, as he looked a boy who could take the responsibility and carry it, but wasn't afraid of being relaxed. He didn't try to start up any senseless banter with her, knowing that if she wanted, she'd talk to him, and Rose respected it. He took after his father in not just looks, but also in style, though instead of black, he preferred white pants and jacket with blue shirt and black vest over it.

Lyra Cassiopeia Black in the past may've looked like a copy of her mother, but instead of same red fiery mane of hair, she sported short and slightly spiky haircut, reaching to the base of her neck. But what was most striking was the fact that her hair was a striking bright green color, while her eyes were of two different colors, one being golden, while the other being green, and the two changed colors every time she blinked.

Rose was surprised to see another Metamorph, and one practically as outgoing and free willed as Nymphadora. Apparently the metamorphic abilities did come from Black family, though Lyra didn't change her looks on the fly, instead preferring to keep to her present look, only adjusting the haircut and changing eye color like she did. Other than that, she was outgoing, nice, ready to speak her mind and mess with others for laughs, but in good way. She and Rose were the same age, and already Rose felt at ease with her and two hit it off without a hitch.

Sigrun Iris Black was a black haired witch, with long and thick locks of hair reaching to the upper part of her back, and with emerald eyes. Sweet, innocent and overly nice, Rose saw Sigrun as a reflection of what she once was, and couldn't help but feel sad for the girl. Despite the fact that she was 11 and it would be her first year in Hogwarts, she was already a student of Illvermony since age 7, as is custom there. She had to leave all of her friends and homeland because Dumbledore decided to play God again. Rose felt confused and lonely when she went to Hogwarts, only warmed up by the fact that Harry was there for her, and she imagined that little Sigrun felt the same way.

Lyra glanced at her little sister, before stepping closer to Rose and speaking to her.

"Um, I know that it may sound weird, but I've heard rumors that Hogwarts has like a major crisis every year, and that when you attended it last, there was a freakin' Basilisk on the prowl. Tell me that all that is just some sick bad joke." Lyra looked at her almost pleadingly.

"Wish I could, Lyra, but…" Lyra let out a defeated sigh. "These days, Hogwarts and some major crisis, as you've put it, go hand in hand. I suspect that Headmaster Dumbledore has some weird obsession about it, like keeping life interesting and on edge for us. You ask me, I'd much rather be studying in Illvermony. You don't hear of any wraiths, Basilisks, Dementors and dumb tournaments from there, just peace and quiet."

"Yeah well, we may not have anything catastrophic going down every year, but we sure know how to have fun there." Lyra smiled to Rose, who smiled back. "Asides from all the subjects, teachers and whoever runs the place know that we need to let off some steam, so they allow us to do so in a healthy and good way. We've got over twenty different clubs, from culinary to alchemical, not to mention parties every end of the month, plus all the celebrations, proms and more. You don't get to be bored in Illvermony, that's for sure."

"Yeah well, sorry to disappoint, but Hogwarts doesn't really have anything like that, safe for feasts during some holiday, like Halloween and Christmas." Rose told Lyra, looking at Sigrun. "It's going to be difficult for her, especially if she gets to be sorted into Gryffindor or Slytherin and without one of you to help her out. She'll be picked upon mercilessly, and trust me, I know that. Not to mention that there ain't a teacher that really cares about the well-being of students, especially Snape and McGonagall."

"I'd like to see them try and pick on my lil' sis." Lyra said in a low tone, cracking up her knuckles. "Might just get a good opportunity to put all those lessons I learned in Free Martial Arts Club to use. Any jackasses I should look for in advance?"

"Well, there is Will Potter and his arselicker Ron Weasley, the two are practically inseparable." Rose began. "Plus Malfoy and his cronies, they are in Slytherin… Anyway, just look out for Slytherin and Gryffindor, and you should be in the safe. Try and make it to Hufflepuff, people there are the best, even if the rest of school thinks them to be just dunces and all that. Hufflepuff has the lowest concentration of jackasses in the entire Hogwarts."

"Sounds like the right kind of people." Lyra commented, while the wand mistress returned.

"Lady Le Fay, I have your wand all ready. Please, have a look." A tall, young woman with blonde hair made into a ponytail and sky blue eyes, dressed in black cardigan and jeans, showed Rose and others the wand. "12 inches, ebony with a Fury's hair, a very rare and unique combination. Ebony is for the people confidant in being themselves and assured in them, excellent in Transfiguration and Charms, while Fury's hair as a core seeks out a host that prefers to be just and seeks to cleanse injustice. Such cores are very aggressive, best suited for combative spells and charms, but the spells produced from them are powerful and precise. You have an excellent wand for self-defense and defense her, milady."

"A marvelous work, Ms. Bellstone." Rose took up her new wand into hand and felt warm and comfortable with it. "Now, how much do I owe for it?"

"Nothing, milady." Ms. Bellstone smiled to her, before leaning in and whispering to a surprised Rose. "Please consider it as a gift from me personally, as thanks to your brother for dealing with spiders. My husband, a Jotann, had told us thanks to whom we may now sleep easy. If he ever desires to procure a wand of best quality, my skills and talents are at his disposal."

"I will inform him of that, as I do believe he was looking for a new wand." Rose smiled to her, before putting her wand away, before motioning to Sigrun. "And it looks like Sigrun had already chosen her materials. Can you make it a present for her, I'll pay if need be."

"No money is needed, milady. We are in your debt and I am glad to repay in best of my abilities. Now, young lady, let us see what materials you have chosen." Ms. Bellstone stepped closer to Sigrun and looked at her materials. "Ah, Rowan and unicorn's hair, a very loyal, kind and nice combination. Excellent choice for an aspiring mistress of Charms, as this combination is ideal for casting defensive and protective charms, which are strong and very hard to break, not to mention that such a wand will never turn on its owner, and will actually seek to shield them from harm. You are a very lucky Witch, miss. I shall be done with the work in a few minutes, so please wait." Ms. Bellstone took the materials and rushed back to her workshop, before being back with the ready wand.

"It's so pretty, almost like my previous wand." Sigrun took her new wand. "Thank you, Ms. Bellstone."

"Always a pleasure to work with such polite and cute Witches like you." Bellstone smiled to her, before turning to Faye. "Free of charge, madam. Friends of House Le Fay are always welcome, especially with such nice little cuties."

"Thank you." Faye nodded to her, before turning to look at the crowd outside. "Still, how are we going to get out of here with such a crowd outside?"

"You can use the backdoor of my shop. It leads a few ways away from those vultures." Ms. Bellstone said, earning her a smile from Faye.

"Well, why don't you three go and use the backdoor, while I give those paparazzi and sheep what they came here for?" Rose suggested, before winking to Faye. "I'll keep them off you, so you can slip out without trouble. Meet at Leaky Cauldron?"

"Alright, and thanks Rose." Faye nodded to her, as she and her family proceeded with Ms. Bellstone, while Rose left the building.

"Lady Le Fay! Lady Le Fay, is it true that your brother has already made a marriage contract with House Malfoy, with you to be a wife of Malfoy Heir?" One of reporters shouted out, just as Rose left the building.

"Whoever told you such nonsense clearly wasn't in the right state of mind, since my brother, Prince Le Fay, wouldn't have done such a thing. He cares for me too much and wouldn't want me to be a wife of those that prostrate themselves before every Dark Lord and Minister." Some of the crowd and reporters laughed. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I suspect that you have lot's questions. Well, make them count, because I am on a time table today."

"Lady Le Fay, after what Prince Le Fay had stated during the Wizengamot, do you believe that you are also worthy of being a Girl Who Lived, along with William Potter? Do you think that it was you who defeated He Who Must Not Be Named?"

"Absolutely not, I'd sooner believe that Dumbledore and Grindelwald were lovers." Rose responded. "I've got no interest in whatever rubbish title press or public may grant the slayer of Voldemort, but in my personal opinion, he had met his end at the hands of my birth grandparents, Charlus and Dorea Potter. From my Black family, I know that those two were a truly great and powerful couple, capable of putting to shame and fear even the likes of Voldemort, and they most certainly did. And their reward? Being buried on some small and half-ruined cemetery in Godrik's Hollow, instead of family mausoleum, courtesy of current Lord Potter." An angry muttering swept through the crowd.

"Lady Le Fay, it has come to the attention of Daily Prophet that you were engaged to marry Ronald Weasley." Another reporter spoke up, with Rose turning her attention to him. "Does Prince Le Fay intend to honor the pledge, or was it one of the reasons why you had left your House?"

"Clearly, you haven't been in the Wizengamot, if you ask such stupid questions." Rose commented. "My brother, Prince Le Fay, would kill every and all Weasleys before allowing any of them to lay claim on me. I know that matriarch of the family, one Molly Weasley, may claim so, but I assure you, that I'll never bind my life with the House as disgraced as this one, who had nearly destroyed our World with their stupidity."

"Lady Le Fay, would please share some words about your now passed away blood brother, Harry Potter, and tell us, what a person in your eyes he was?" A female reporter asked of Rose, who answered.

"I didn't know Harry Potter, my dead brother, as a monster everyone wrote him to be. Instead, I knew a brother, who tucked me into my bed, read me fairy tales and loved me more than my parents combined. I knew a brother, who taught me to read, write, helped me with my homework and mended my scratched knees and cuts when I fell. I knew a brother who loved and cared for me when my own parents looked at us like a waste of air and space." Rose stated with heat. "And before any of you ask, he and Prince Le Fay were close friends, with Henry Le Fay honoring the promise of my brother to care and protect me at all costs. Do I miss my big brother? Yes, but I know he can rest easy, as I am in good hands."

"Lady Le Fay, can you tell us, what are the plans of your brother and House Le Fay? Does he plan to secede from Magical Britain and Ministry?"

"I am not privy to his plans, but I do know that he has none of such plans in mind. No, he plans to keep his territories and subjects safe from all magical threats. That goes for all those that live in his lands, magical and non-magical included." Rose stated.

"You mean that he intends to fight even for Muggles and Squibs? Does he value them as much as he does Wizards and Witches?"

"Unlike the vast majority of Magical World, Prince Le Fay does not discriminate and cares equally for magical beings, magical and non-magical people." Rose stated. "I share his view. In fact, in last couple of years, I have come to view non-magical people as equals to us in all areas, and I honestly envy their ingenuity, as they can come up with many ways to compensate their lack of magic. Not to mention that unlike most of Magical Britain, they don't give a damn about if you were born with or without magic."

"Lady Le Fay, your brother has already been admitted by Witch's Weakly Magazine to be the most wanted bachelor, as well as the most handsome and possibly the richest one at that. Are there any Witches that have already claimed his heart?"

"No comment, as I am not _that _privy into his personal life, and I don't intend to reveal what goes on in his bedchambers." Rose simply stated.

"Lady Le Fay, have there already been any suitors lining up for your hand and affections, after your stunning appearance?"

"Aside from the aforementioned Weasleys, all those unfortunate suitors will have to wait for very long time, as I am in no mood or age to want to become someone's wife." Rose responded. "But, if you are curious, you may want to ask Houses Nott, Longbottom, Zabini, Flint and some others, as I don't recall all those countless letters from Noble Houses. But do please leave out House Diggory, as Cedrik is a dear friend to me, so please let him off easy." Rose asked in an innocent and cute way.

"Does that mean that young Heir of Diggory family is the prime candidate to become a lucky husband to Lady Le Fay?"

"No, he is simply one of the very few males that don't make me want to throw up when looking at them eat." Rose responded dryly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have great many things to complete and not a great amount of time."

Rose masterfully moved past the crowd and walked past gawking people and annoying reporters. She had mastered the art of not giving a damn, another unfortunate perk she had picked up from her time with Potters. But, when in the past she looked and moved like a meak little mouse, now she walked like a lioness, with regal, strength and power. Who would've thought that power would be so good for one's disposition and health? Just as Rose neared the entrance to the Cauldron, she noticed that the street had cleared up to a desolate lever, as if a charm was put over the area. Feeling in danger, she stealthily reached up to her wand, as well as gave a small signal to certain people, just in case. But before that would happen, Rose suddenly found herself in front of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, who put up their false smiles.

"Rosy, what a pleasant surprise!" Sirius addressed her in a highly false tone. "Don't you want to hug your uncles Padfoot and Loony?"

"Not as much as I want to castrate you two flee bags." Rose reached to her new wand, while the two scowled at her. "So, a massive notice me not charm, as well as a hiding and repelling charms linked up. What's next, trying to kidnap me?"

"Not if you come along without any trouble, young lady." Rose wasn't even surprised to hear the voice of her mother, as she turned back and looked at her and James glaring at her. "Rose, you have quite a lot to explain yourself for, as well as some declarations to make."

"Oh ho, so _it _is a kidnapping." Rose practically laughed, though internally was stiffening up. "And how do you see that going done? A wayward daughter returns back the place of her misery, meekly proclaiming that all she said in Wizengamot to be a lie, which would look like utter rubbish, especially when it was confirmed by magic itself."

"We will figure out the way to deal with it, but you _will be _coming home, before you decide to blurt out more lies about us." James moved closer to her, until he noticed her slip out of her pocket her new wand. "Oh, don't make me laugh, girl. Do you really think that you can hold off all four of us, veterans of war with He Who Must Not Be Named? Give up and come quietly, and I can assure you that we will deal with it without any… physical reprimanding."

"You mean like another round of _Caro Mortui_, along with having most of my left arm turned into a rotten piece of infestation and illness?" Rose responded in a chilly and cold way, making James flinch a little. "Tell me, did you even know what that curse would do to a body? Or were you hoping that the gangrene would kill me? I'm not even going to ask you if you were even really going to kill your daughter, as you don't even know the meaning of paternal feelings."

"Rose, please don't make this harder than this has to be." Remus, ever the diplomat, asked of Rose. "Just come along without a fight. You and I both know that with all us here, you don't have much a choice anyway."

"I do have a choice, and the way I see it, it is _you_ who should be running for the hills." Rose simply stated. "You did know that I wasn't alone, and Faye will soon notice me not being there in Cauldron. That's not to mention that much like my dead brother, my new brother shares Harry's protectiveness of my wellbeing."

"That arrogant ponce and my brother's whore of a wife won't be able to do jack, so don't count on them, girl." Sirius told her boldly, as the circle around her started to close up. "We've made sure to take precautions about anyone coming through that wall, or into our small area. So, be a good little girl, put that new fancy wand down and come quietly, before Uncle Padfoot will have to get all grumpy and mad at you, and we won't want that."

"Rose, listen your betters for the first time in your life, and put that wand down." Lily pointed her wand at her own daughter. "If you don't, I won't hesitate to put you down."

"But, if you are like that idiot of a traitor, make our day and to resist." James suggested to her. "I'll gladly remind you the price for disobeying your parents." He pointed his wand at her and was ready to cast up the curse.

"I would've listened to Lady Le Fay here and ran for the hills. Your reputation is already in tatters, and now you are preparing to make the most powerful House of Britain into your mortal enemy." Faye spoke up in a calm manner, standing behind Sirius and holding him and Remus in scope, while she turned to glaring Lily. "Did you really think I wouldn't recognize the charm work in this area, even inactive one? Seriously, Freya, I thought you were better than that."

"Faye, do you really think that you and that weakling of a Witch will be enough to stop us?" Lily asked of her, with Faye simply smirking to her. "What are smiling about?"

"Oh I just revel in how utterly foolish you four can be." Faye stated to them. "Did you _really _think that Heiress of House Le Fay, de-facto, a princess of the small kingdom, would travel alone and without any guards?"

In the single moment, the would-be kidnappers were surrounded by four graceful, dressed in colorful cloaks and coats persons, armed with short curved blades and elegant looking firearms. They pointed their weapons at the four, while two more took a stance in front of Lady Le Fay, armed up and ready to defend her. Their faces were covered by what seemed to be carnival masks, only more menacing and sinister, and gave away an uneasy feeling of dread from them. Rose spoke up, putting back her wand.

"I think you've ever heard about the Harlequins, have you?" Rose spoke with a near amused tone. "High Elf elite warriors, who worship the God of Mischief and Deceit, Loki. They devote their lives to this path, which leads them to tell the tales and perform quite entertaining circus performances, telling many tales during said performances. However, above all else, they are masters of assassination, schemes and mastery of every weapon, and are near impossible to kill in direct combat. I hear that a Harlequin can kill with such precision and speed, that even blood won't be fast enough to stain his blade. Perhaps I we should see if there is truth to that." The armed escort of Lady Le Fay was all too eager to prove her their mastery, until Lily spoke up.

"Perhaps… Perhaps we had reacted a tad bit too rashly to all that." Lily had changed her tune to one of appeasement and diplomacy. "Rose, w-we just wanted to talk and…"

"You have quite a humorous way of saying it, Lady Potter." Rose responded dryly, before letting out a sigh. "Dispell the charms here and don't come near me. Be thankful that I am in a relatively graceful mood." The four nodded, and after taking away the charm work, disappeared through apparition.

"The gall of those four… To think that Dumbledore would order a kidnapping of Le Fay Heiress in broad daylight and in the eyes of near all Wizards of Britain." Faye spoke in anger.

"Dumbledore probably knows not a thing about this little attempt. I'm ready to bet my new arm on that." Rose simply stated to Faye, as the Elven Harlequins disappeared without trace. "No, that old coot isn't as dumb as to order it, nor is he as desperate as they. They know that Harry and I hold them by the metaphorical balls, and that is making them nervous. Nervous that we will reveal what they've done to me to the general public."

"Then why not do so? It would destroy them in an instant instead of just put their integrity and reputation in question." Faye noted out.

"Because, Faye, there is still a ground work to be done until we can put a final nail in the coffin of those four idiots. For now, it's best to let them continue give us the nails like this one, because for as long as we hold the information they need, we make them play by our rules." Rose smiled to Faye, who looked confused at her. "Trust in my brother. After all, he is Lord Slytherin for a reason."

In that, Faye had no reason to doubt.

* * *

**A shorter one than the rest, but still a pretty lengthy chapter, one that I hope will come to your liking. Now as for a few explanations.**

**Harry and Tracey do indeed love each other after all the time, and Tracey is in the harem. Now as for her abilities, it is something that I believe would be present in the world of Harry Potter, even if it's something of X-Men thingy. But anyway, through telepathy, Tracey can read through Harry like a book, and not a single thing about him goes unnoticed, so she knows about him more than anyone now, and has accepted him. **

**Also, sorry, but I'm not in the mood for any lemons, so don't hold it against me. As for why she jumped his bone, so to speak, she had went through her lover's memories about their time together, plus two years of sexual frustration, need for love and touch and so on.**

**Now, as for Harlequins, you can Google Eldar Harlequins and you'll get the right idea. Also, Elven races, unlike in most other fics and stories, actually prefer to stay on top of military advancements, so they've gone past bows and arrows, and use firearms, as well as their own special and magical weapons of same principle. Oh, and as for their pantheon, it is bit of a mix of Celtic, Greek and Norse Pantheons, but only in human understanding. Elves have their own interpretations of their Gods and simply let humans use the names they already are familiar with.**

**With all that out of the way, have a pleasant day!**

**Next time: House Black assembles to greet House Malfoy; Regulus and Bellatrix**

**See ya!**


	13. Chapter 13

**August the 6****th****. Azkaban.**

Heavy gates of the Azkaban fortress jail opened up a little, letting inside three persons, two of whom were dressed in black robes, with hoods above their faces. For the simple guards and Aurors, they looked like your average Unspeakables, secretive and secluded members of the Ministry, charged with research, exploration and experimentation in various fields of magic.

That including the fields that are considered to be among the darkest and vilest in the society and even among some of the Dark families. Due to the nature of their work, they usually work in secrecy and away from prying eyes, and if need be, they can call upon their vast privileges, granted to them by the Ministry's edicts, to achieve all the needed goals, just like now.

Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped closer to the warden, handing him the order and confirmations from the Ministry, authorizing the presence of the Unspeakables and the nature of their task. The warden looked a little surprised, but not too surprised, as this wasn't the first time he had seen the Unspeakables visit the Azkaban.

In his time, he had watched these seemingly faceless and silent studiers come and go here about half a dozen times already, each and every time pursuing different goals. This time was no different, but what was different was the fact that the Unspeakables required one of his most guarded and dangerous inmates. He looked from the writ and at his old former colleague and friend Kingsley Shacklebolt, before speaking up.

"I'm sorry, Shacks, but are those Unspeakables nuts?" He honestly asked of him, before showing him what was written in the order. "I can understand studying the Dementors, Azkaban itself, even the strange hieroglyphs found in some places here, but this? She was among You Know Who's most trusted lieutenants and still is his deadliest Witch. She may've been quiet and even withdrawn for the past fourteen or so years, but recently… It's like she's turned into a rabid dog. Hell, I've had to order Dementors to bring her food instead of guards, because she'd scare my men worse than Dementors."

"I know, Jack, and believe me, I understand what you mean." Kingsley spoke up. "And that is the thing that those two are here for. We've all heard that after Voldemort fell, Bellatrix Lestrange suddenly went into that apathy and misery, but now, with all the rumors and…"

"Not exactly rumors, Shack." Jack told him, surprising him. "I've seen the Marks on their arms flare up in June, and I know what that means, even if Fudge and his bureaucratic arse lickers are saying otherwise… Does Bones and others know that He's back?"

"She does, and that's why she agreed to cooperate with Unspeakables on this one. They've got a theory or two that the Marks may be used to find out where that bastard is hold up and smoke him out." Shacklebolt explained to him. "I don't know about you, Jack, but I'd prefer to put the bastard down for good this time, and do it before he gets any time to do any damage, instead of having to deal with him when people start dying."

"Hm… Alright, I'll have that woman moved to the isolated chamber on this level. That should give your researchers plenty of privacy, and I'll have my men not snooping around." Jack agreed with Kingsley. "But, if something goes south…"

"I've been ordered to supervise the entire thing, and I still haven't forgotten how to throw a curse." Kingsley assured his friend, who nodded to him.

The warden motioned several of the guards to guide the arrived guests to the chamber, while he went on to order his men to bring the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange there. Soon enough, the trio had made their way into the small chamber, with wooden chairs with restraints, stools and table being the only accommodations there. Once the door into the chamber closed up, and with Kingsley placing a privacy charm on the room, he turned to the Unspeakables and spoke up to them.

"I hope you realize what you are doing, Regulus." The said 'Unspeakable' removed his hood, revealing the head of Regulus Black. "If word gets around that Amelia had given you access here, not to mention to Bellatrix Lestrange, _and _that you've went in here dressed as the Unspeakables, the Minister will have us all by our balls. And if Dumbledore finds out, and he will, he'll…"

"He'll only learn of a pair of Unspeakables going into Azkaban to conduct their research business, something that happens fairly often in here." Regulus simply stated to Kingsley, who looked at him in curiosity. "Don't look at me like that, Kingsley. House of Black has been at the foundation of Ministry, and we have always had quite a number of good friends in there, many of whom work in the Department of Ministries and archives. If anything comes up, this will be seen as nothing more than a regular Unspeakables' visit, nothing new."

"Still doesn't explain why you've decided to come and visit Bellatrix Lestrange of all people in here." Shacklebolt rubbed his eyes from tiredness. "You've been one of the Death Eaters, Regulus, so you know that she is an utter fanatic and lunatic when it comes to Voldemort and that she has all but abandoned House of Black. Tonks even told me that Arcturus regards her as a little more than a rabid dog that needs to be put down for good, a notion that I happen to agree with."

"And one that I too agree with as well." The second 'Unspeakable' spoke, removing the hood and revealing Cassiopeia Black, who looked with a small glare at her nephew. "That woman had taken part in killing many of our relatives that haven't sided with Voldemort, not to mention that she has played a key part in deaths of both Marius and Dorea. For those that had blood of Black alone Bellatrix has earned an eternal hatred of House of Black, but for my brother and sister, I would personally crucify her and leave here in a desert to die."

"I am well aware of that, Cassiopeia. And I also know that Bellatrix has done more harm to our House than any other traitor of it." Regulus stated to her. "However, unlike the two of you, I have had the chance to see Bellatrix and talk to here, when I was still with Death Eaters. She herself had recommended me to Voldemort, true, but the two of us have always been close, closer than I was to my parents and Sirius. And let me tell you two: that woman that had attacked our family was not Bellatrix Black."

"People change, Regulus. You are the prime example of the phenomena." Cassiopeia simply stated to him, with Kingsley nodding. "Besides, she was always not the correct sort of a Black, not helped with the fact of Cygnus and Druella being utter wastes of magic and atrocious people that they were, even by the standards set by our ancestor Phineas Black. Thank Morgana that Andromeda and Narcissa, to a certain extent, turned out to be alright."

"You don't need to tell me about Cygnus and Druella, I still remember their lunacy, just as I remember my mother's bouts of insanity and madness." Regulus reminded her. "However, both I and Andromeda had always been close to Bellatrix. Hell, Bella was the maid of honor on Andromeda's secret wedding, the very same Bellatrix that later went on to kill more non-magicals than I ate chicken. Cassiopeia, I've known Bellatrix _before _she joined up, and I've worked with her _after _she had joined, and I can tell that those were two completely separate and different persons, and I don't mean like she had changed like I did. No, something had happened to Bellatrix that has made her go insane like that, something Rodolphus, Voldemort, or even her parents had done to here."

"You mean that she was put under the_ Imperious_ curse?" Kingsley asked of him, with Regulus shaking his head.

"I thought that at first too, but after working as an Auror and seeing how the _Imperious_ Curse works, I can tell for sure that she wasn't under the _Imperious_, but under something worse." Regulus looked at Cassiopeia, who had an interested look now. "I know how you feel about her, Cassiopeia, and I myself would like nothing more than to avenge Aunt Dorea and Uncle Marius, but if there is a chance that Bellatrix hasn't been herself all that time while she did all this…"

"Then we may be condemning another one of Black victims… Ugh, fine, I'll check and see if there is any sense to your words, Regulus." Cassiopeia agreed with him. "Still can't believe you've managed to talk me into it, and without telling a word to Harry, Nymphadora or father for that matter."

"If I had told them about that, they'd dismiss it without missing a beat." Regulus simply stated to her. "Grandfather hates Bellatrix just a little less than he hates Voldemort, while Nymphadora wouldn't have considered my words to be valid, even though she is an Auror."

"And Henry? From what I understand, he is not the type of the person to let go of an opportunity to gain an ally." Kingsley stated.

"And he is also the kind of the guy that knows how to hold a grudge, and has all the reason to hate Bellatrix just as much as my Grandfather does." Regulus told him. "She and Lestranges have taken part in attacking the Potters on that Halloween night, and she had fought against Dorea, according to Harry. In his mind, everyone involved in death of Charlus and sacrifices of Dorea, is an enemy and need to be killed, and Bellatrix is one of them. He may be as smart as Salazar Slytherin, but he can be just as vindictive, and, as Andromeda had mentioned, that can cause him to have a bit of a tunnel vision on things. Better he and the others don't know that we were here and checked Bellatrix, and after we are done here, we can tell them and ask either for a thank you or forgiveness for acting out on our own." The group heard screams and maniacal cackling outside, indicating that the person in question was nearby, forcing Regulus and Cassiopeia pull up their hoods.

The door into the chamber opened up, and three guards led the struggling and cackling form of Bellatrix Lestrange in, forcing her into the chair and strapping her with the restraints, before leaving. Regulus and the others took a closer look at the former Black woman. Her long black hair was dirty, messy and streaks of grey already showed, while her face looked gaunt and even terrifying to a certain degree with her sharp features and large black eyes. Madness and insanity were clearly seen in the eyes of once promising and powerful Black witch.

This was Bellatrix Lestrange, but Regulus had known her before she took the name of her husband, when she proudly wore the name of Bellatrix Black. She was in many aspects, a perfect Black family witch: strong, willful, independent and powerful, ready to serve and help her House. He remembered her being the most strong-willed of the three cousins, comparing her to Cassiopeia and Dorea, but she was also the fierce protector of her sisters. Back in Hogwarts, she would've killed anyone who would've dared to even look funny at Andromeda or Narcissa, but she wasn't cruel. She may've had some of Black's traditional disposition towards non-magicals, but she was never a fanatic or pureblood supremacy advocate. She was smart, cunning, witty and powerful, not insane and rabid like the woman he saw before him.

Her face contorted into a smile as she saw the visitors and spoke.

"My, my, I haven't had a visitor in ages, and instead I get three at the same time." Bellatrix smiled to them, looking at them. "So, here to finally put the dog out her misery, as the guards have called me over the years? Well, you best take your shot now, before the Dark Lord releases me and the others, because after that, I may find you and have my way with all three of you." She cackled a little, licking her lips a little.

"We are not here to kill, Bellatrix." Regulus removed his hood, as did Cassiopeia, though unlike her nephew, she looked at Bellatrix with hatred in her eyes.

"Regulus Arcturus Black, as I live and breathe!" She laughed openly when she looked at her cousin. "I always thought that you had died in a ditch somewhere, but no. And look at you, all tall and grown up, with finally some muscles to show, I bet. Almost nothing like that scrawny little pansy you were back then, who'd throw up at the first sight of blood."

"And you look the very part of a psychotic and deranged lunatic." Cassiopeia commented, drawing the attention of Bellatrix.

"Auntie Cassie, what a pleasant surprise!" Bellatrix looked surprised. "It has been forever since we saw each other, and you look like you haven't aged a day! Tell me, how are Uncle Marius and Auntie Dorea, by the way? Do they send me their love?"

"You know full well where they are, you deranged skank!" Cassiopeia moved her hand to her wand, while Bellatrix cackled, only to be stopped by Regulus.

"Oh, that's right, I've gutted that muggle loving Marius like a pig he was!" Bellatrix laughed even louder. "Did you know that he was crawling on his knees to me, begging for mercy, before I took spilled his guts out? It was so funny to see him kiss my toes when I told him that it would save his life, only to realize that I lied to him! And as for Auntie Dory, she should count herself as someone truly blessed, to have fallen at the hand of the Dark Lord. Perhaps he'll give you the same blessing when he gets to you, Auntie, if I ask him nicely."

"The only thing you and him will get from me is death for what you've done to them!" Cassiopeia was losing her temper and control, only restrained by Regulus. "Let go of me, Regulus! Don't you see? That bitch is simply mad and needs to die, for Marius and Dorea's sakes, so that they may find peace at least!"

"And I've told you why we are here, Cassiopeia, and if I wrong, then I'll personally gut her open for you." Regulus saw that Cassiopeia calmed down a little, letting her go, before turning to Bellatrix, who was looking at him with curiosity.

"So, when you disappeared, you've ran away to this old fossil here, instead of staying and serving the Dark Lord? Regulus, you really are such a disappointment, just like Mommy and Daddy had told me you were." Bellatrix feigned disappointment. "And I had thought that you'd be able to toughen up a little while with me, but there goes me being a caring cousin. But you are here for the reason, and I have a feeling that it has something to do with the Dark Lord. Why don't you loosen up these things and let me go? I'll be sure to let the Dark Lord know that you've helped me and he may forgive you."

"That's out of the question, Bellatrix. And even if I had wanted to return to kiss his toes for forgiveness…" Regulus rolled up his left sleeve, showing Bellatrix the burn where his Mark once was. "I doubt that he'd ever forgive me after I've burned it off. And besides, I've long have chosen to stand against him."

"Oh, Regulus, you damn idiot… When I get out, I will make you _wish _you had died, for rejecting the gift of the Dark Lord that was bestowed upon you! You will scream mercy and lick his hem, while I make your blood boil! You will eat your own heart for this treachery, you worthless weak-willed worm!" Bellatrix screamed at him, before being silenced by a sound slap from Cassiopeia, forcing the inmate to spit blood out. "Oh, so the old crone still has some fire left in her furnace, eh? Don't worry, I'll make sure to take extra care with you, when I get out."

"You won't be getting out of here any time soon, Lestrange." Kingsley chimed in, only to be met with more cackling. "Regulus, I have to agree with Cassiopeia. She is simply utterly insane, no question about it, and she is insane of her own volition."

"Maybe, or maybe she was made that way." Regulus looked at Bellatrix, who suddenly looked at him with some manner of curiosity. "The Bellatrix I knew would die before hurting me, or her sisters, uncles and aunts for that matter. And she'd kill anyone who would've tried to force her into slavery or servitude of any kind, not to mention she wouldn't let _anyone _dictate her what to do or how to be. _Especially_ if it involved hurting the Black Family."

"Then you must be even crazier than I am, Regulus, because I'd gladly carve out your heart right now and eat it, for what you have done." Bellatrix stated to him, before he took out his wand and paralyzed her.

"You know why we are here, Cassiopeia, so please…" Regulus motioned to her, with Cassiopeia taking out her wand and pointing at Bellatrix.

"I still don't believe the single word you said about her, Regulus, but I'll trust you on this one." She began to chant up the charms and spells with her wand, magic swirling around her.

For twenty minutes, Cassiopeia had run every possible analytical charm and spell that she could on the still form of Bellatrix Lestrange. In normal circumstances, she would've made the woman scream in agony and beg for mercy, for all the pain she had caused her, for taking away her brother as she had admitted right now. And that's not to mention attacking Dorea, her closest friend and sister, the one that she was the closest with. Cassiopeia Black was a vengeful woman, never one to pass up an opportunity to exact her revenge, and Bellatrix Lestrange was quite high up in her list of those that deserved death. The only thing that had stopped her so far was Regulus' idealistic and childish belief that there was something wrong with Bellatrix, that she was not herself. When he had first come to her with this proposal, she was ready to laugh in his face and tell him that he was going mad.

Now, however, she wasn't all that sure, as what the tests have revealed to her showed that Regulus' words had merit. Now that her vindictive side had let go of her mind, the scientist and Black witch began to work their own magic in her mind, formulating conclusions and facts of the data she had gathered. And what she had learned had terrified her, and considering that this the same witch that had delved in Necromancy and some of the darkest arts of magic known to men, that was saying something.

Pulling back her wand, she looked at Regulus with a look of shock, as she spoke to him.

"I never thought that I'd say it, but… You were right, Regulus." She admitted to him, with Regulus and Kingsley looking with surprise at her. "Whatever hunch, gut feeling or instinct you had, they were correct about Bellatrix not being herself. At least, partially you were right in that regard."

"What have you found out? Is it some form of mind control, a mechanism of subjugation through the Mark?" Regulus asked of Cassiopeia, who shook her head.

"No, nothing like that. It is something far worse than that." She stated with a shocked voice, before turning to Bellatrix. "Bellatrix had been subjected to one of the cruelest and darkest rituals that are known to me, a ritual so atrocious, that it has been forbidden for usage before the establishment of the Ministry. Bellatrix has had her mind and real persona, the one you remember, shackled up right inside her, and instead of it, a whole new and different persona was formed, one that was all too eager to serve and believe in the Dark Lord."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kingsley asked of them, while Regulus paled when he realized what had happened to Bellatrix. "Are you saying that there are two souls in Bellatrix, like with Horcrux? Is she possessed or something?"

"No, she isn't possessed, not in the same way as with other possessed people." Regulus shook his head. "I know the ritual that Cassiopeia just spoke of. It is an ancient and dark ritual, created by the House of Black to enslave our enemies and chosen spouces and take control of them. The ritual binds the real personality of the victim deep inside her mind, before creating above that persona a completely new one. It is like making a whole different person, but with all the memories, skills and abilities, yet completely different character. You could call an _Imperious _curse on steroids, so to speak, only it is worse. The new persona will obey any and all commands put into the mind and it's basis, while the real one, the original, will be locked up in the mind, unable to get out and watching what is happening. The newly created person will act and live as it was ordered by the ritual's incantations and instructions planted into it. This ritual could only be learned and performed by a member of House of Black, which means…"

"It's both Cygnus and Walburga's work. I recognized their magic in Bellatrix's mind." Cassiopeia stated to Regulus, who didn't look all too surprised. "The ritual had been performed just after her wedding, from what I've learned out of her mind, and that it was performed incorrectly and sloppy, not to mention that their commands and traits they instilled into this new persona had made her go insane like this. Typical Cygnus and Walburga, utter idiots and fools when it comes to finer magic."

"What do you mean by the ritual being performed incorrectly?" Regulus asked of her.

"Exactly what I've meant, Regulus. Had the ritual been done properly, and thank Morgana it wasn't, I wouldn't have been able to simply find traces and memories of it, as it was designed in such a way." Cassiopeia stated to him. "Furthermore, the binding of the real personality of Bellatrix wasn't done properly, which had allowed some of her true self to leak out, and even to take back control of her body for the limited time, before this twisted monstrosity of a persona had regained control. In fact, from what I've read from scans, the real Bellatrix had always had control of her actions whenever she was with her daughter, Cornelia, and she'd never allowed this new persona take control. Along with that, there is the fact that she had protected you from threats and bullying while you were with Death Eaters."

"That she did, true…" Regulus looked at Bellatrix with sadness, before firming up and looking at Cassiopeia. "Now do you believe me, Cassiopeia?"

"I do, and I am sorry for not trusting you, Regulus." She was honest, before turning back to Bellatrix, who was starting to come out of her paralysis. "The Death Mark had also been tied up to the ritual, which is why after 14 years of apathy and inaction, this dark twisted persona reemerged, with the return of the Dark Lord. Before that, it was true Bellatrix, the real and original one, in command of her faculties and body."

"If that was the case, and from I understand now, she'd had to have seen, felt and sensed all that her evil persona done, including torturing, murdering and all in between." Kingsley spoke up. "It must've broke her, when the Dark Lord fell the first time, and not being able to prove her innocence… Shit, and I thought that Henry had it bad, but this is utter…"

"Just one more victim of that damned war and Voldemort. Cassiopeia, you've stated that the Mark was linked up the Ritual, sort of like an anchor for that built up persona, if I understand correctly? If we remove the Mark, will that destroy the persona that is in control of Bellatrix?" Regulus asked of Cassiopeia, who thought about herself.

"Hm… Yeah, that could work, but I'll also have to perform a powerful purging charm on her right after the Mark is gone." Cassiopeia spoke up. "This personality wasn't made properly, like I said earlier, as it is also a parasite of sorts. The Mark is what feeds up this parasite, and the shock from sudden loss of Voldemort had forced the dark persona to lay dormant. This time, it will fight back and may try to assert itself in Bellatrix's mind as the only persona." Regulus and Cassiopeia nodded to each other, before drawing out their wands, right as Bellatrix had regained her functions, having heard it all.

"You bet your lives I will not let you do it to me! That damn mother of a bitch Bella hadn't let me out near Cornelia and had me locked up after Dark Lord fell, but now I'm not letting you do me away for good!" Bellatrix screamed at them while, Regulus slashed open her left sleeve, showing the Death Mark.

"For whatever it's worth, cousin, it's going to hurt you like hell. _Liberatio a Vinculo cum Malo_!" Regulus said the incantation, as he pointed his wand at the Death Mark of Bellatrix.

The Death Mark let out an ear piercing scream as it dissolved into a close to acid liquid, burning the flesh of screaming Bellatrix, as it left her body. Cassiopeia didn't waste a moment after the Death Mark had dissolved itself, purging Bellatrix's mind out of the parasite and all the waste that her idiotic relatives have put into the girl. After two minutes of the incantations, the struggling and thrashing form of Bellatrix Lestrange calmed down, settling down, as Cassiopeia put away her wand. As the room quieted down, the trio gave Bellatrix some breathing room, before her form began to slowly move again. Her dark eyes looked around her, before she focused up on Regulus, who eyed her with suspicion and readiness, but only until he heard her speak.

"R-Regulus…" The voice of Bellatrix bore now no madness and malice, but was one much like Andromeda's, only sounding broken, tired and hopeless. "Th-thank you, Regulus, Auntie Cassie…" She said weakly, as she began to cry, tears coming out of her eyes.

"Bella, is that really you, the _real_ you?" Cassiopeia asked of her, with Bellatrix nodding to her.

"Yes, I-I am now me again… Oh Morgana, s-so many killed, Marius a-and D-Dorea… A-all of them, I've murdered them all and…" She cried, as she looked with her broken gaze at them. "I hurt _so _m-many p-people… R-Regulus, p-please, I-I don't want to live with all this… Finish me off, I don't want to…"

"Like bloody hell will I ever do something as stupid as that!" Regulus yelled at Bellatrix, kneeling before her. "Bella, all that has happened: our relatives, those non-magicals and Muggleborns, Marius and Dorea- they weren't your fault and it wasn't you who did it all. It was that thing that was in control of you, she had done it all, not you."

"And do you think that makes it any better?!" She yelled at him with tears. "I remember every face, every single person that had suffered from my hand! I still hear their screams and hear myself cackle at it all, and I still remember that rush of sick sensations when I did all that! I felt, saw and sensed _everything _that she did, and I remember it all _like I _did, Regulus! For 14 years it has been with me, 14 years of absolute torture and madness! Please, I beg you, I don't want to go through it anymore and I don't want to deal with it all, all that blood and suffering… Kill me, please! For Cornelia at least! She can't have a mother that has done so many atrocities!"

"No, and she won't have one, because _that _Bellatrix is now gone, and you are you again. And Cornelia bloody well _needs _her mother, now more than ever!" Regulus shouted at his shell shocked cousin, with her suddenly looking at him with wide eyes, tears finally stopping and shock stepping away.

"Wh-what do you mean? What has happened to my daughter?!" She now shouted at her with force, her maternal instincts once more kicking back, just as they did when she protected her daughter from the dark persona.

"You want to know? Fine, I'll tell you! She has been knocked up by a guy she loved, yet ran away from her. She had been forced to fake her own death and the death of her child, just to escape the wrath of House Lestrange, not to mention the Weasleys and Dumbledore, who wouldn't let a child of two mortal enemy houses live. She is hiding, all alone, raising her son from Charlie Weasley and probably praying to never be found! And do you know what will happen if Rodolphus or Rabastan get out of here?" Regulus asked of Bellatrix, who knew what will happen.

"They'll find her and kill them both… Cornelia, wh-why she hadn't gone to Arcturus or you, or Cassiopeia?! Why she hadn't gone to Andromeda for help?!"

"She probably knew that the Lord and Lady Lestrange would stop at nothing to kill her child, even risking a war with House Black, so she had faked her death. Not to mention that Weasleys, or rather, Molly Prewett, would've made sure that she was dead, especially with Dumbledore on her side. We only found out just a few days ago, and we are yet to approach her." Cassiopeia spoke up, with Bellatrix looking at her aunt. "House of Black is getting back together, and we are taking a stand against Voldemort _and _Dumbledore. It is long past time that our enemies had paid for crossing us, and it is about the damn time we've stopped bickering amongst ourselves and poured our might and power towards the right goal. And we need _every _Black for it, Bellatrix."

"I am not Black, not anymore." She simply stated. "And even if you get together, it'll take more than just our House to defeat those two."

"Which is why we aren't alone in this fight." Regulus stated, drawing her attention. "House Le Fay has risen once more, and Prince Le Fay is of our blood, Bellatrix. We already have an army, power and we have already struck against Dumbledore and Voldemort. We know how to defeat that half-blooded bastard for good, and we are prepared to dismantle the Light Side. You don't want to live the life of misery and torture? Fine, get the fuck over it. We don't need Bellatrix Lestrange, a broken and used up shell of a witch. We need Bellatrix Black, the daughter of House Black and one of the most powerful and gifted Black Witches of this century. We need a woman that has borne a strong child and protected her even against herself, and is prepared to do everything to defend Cornelia and her son. Start being Bellatrix Black, live if not for yourself, than for your daughter and our House. You think that death will wash away your sins? No, it won't, it'll just stop the hurting." Bellatrix looked at him.

"You don't know what you are talking about, Regulus. You didn't do what I have…" Bellatrix told him, with him nodding to her.

"You are right, but I've done my share of bad things. I live with it every day, but I don't live just to remember it all." Regulus told her. "I live to make the best out of my life and all I know, as well as to make things better for those I care about. I know that you don't need forgiveness of others, Bella, but if you want to earn the forgiveness for yourself, to learn how to live past all you've done, then you'll let me get your arse out of this jail, stop moping about and do what is right for your family and yourself. The choice is yours, Bella: stay here and wallow up in despair until you die, or get out there and set things right."

Bellatrix looked into his eyes, seeing that he too has done bad things, and that her cousin still regrets what he has done with Death Eaters. But at the same time, she sensed strength, fortitude, determination and will in him, more than she had ever expected to sense from Regulus. She had always thought that it was Sirius who was one with character, but it looks like it is Regulus that had turned out even stronger. She could still remember in vivid detail all that Bellatrix Lestrange has done and she couldn't help but feel shame and despair, even if she hasn't done it.

However, as her bout of freedom and desperation faded away, her heart once more began to pound with force, fueled by rage, fury, and desire to protect her daughter and avenge her. Her daughter, the only good thing that came from Rodolphus' seed and her womb, had suffered from the hands of Weasleys, left by the father of her child. She didn't feel any hatred or repulse to the child, instead she felt the intense desire to see her grandson. But Charlie Weasley… He had hurt her Cornelia, abandoned her, and he will pay, and so will all those that had hurt her or threatened her.

Bit by bit, piece by piece, the shell of the broken and desperate woman fell off, as Cassiopeia and Regulus saw how practically on their eyes magic danced around Bellatrix. Instead of the broken tool came a reforged in determination and purpose woman, once more bearing the name of Black. Regulus didn't need to probe her mind to understand that his cousin was back, as he simply unlocked her binds, letting Bellatrix to rise up. She looked at her family with her dark eyes, before pulling away her unkempt hair and speaking to Regulus.

"I'll live, and I will not let _anyone _dictate what to do _anymore_." She said with strength. "Now, Regulus, do please tell that you getting me out of here isn't just hot air. Wizengamot won't ever allow me to leave Azkaban, especially with Dumbledore in charge."

"You are right, as Wizengamot won't budge on your account, but did you know that I was actually trialed and found not guilty by the ICW's Court?" He informed her with smirk, seeing a surprise on Bellatrix's face. "I have made myself a name in the international community, and I've got a couple of friends in the Court. I can have a private trial and hearing organized within 72 hours, and once we lay on the table all the evidence, not even Dumbledore and Ministry combined will be able to stop you from getting out free."

After hearing that, Bellatrix smiled to him, already feeling anxious at the prospect of getting out. Once she was out, she'll not waste time and find out all that has happened while she was away and every detail on what has transpired with her daughter. And after that… She'll be there for Cornelia and her son, her grandson.

* * *

**August the 11****th****. House of Black's Mansion. County of Kent.**

Arcturus sat in his chair, sipping tea, while also reading the international news, seemingly exuding an aura of relaxation and calmness. That would appear to be the case for anyone who hasn't had the pleasure, or displeasure, depending on whether you enemy or friend of Black family, to know Arcturus Black. The man was known as one of the most strong-willed and smartest persons in the current society and time. He was the man that you most definitely wouldn't want to cross and make an enemy of. And he was also a man that didn't like to wait around, after he had summoned guests to his House.

For over two weeks, Arcturus Black has been ignoring the invitations and petitions to come of House Malfoy. He knew full well why Lucius Malfoy had suddenly decided to take interest in the maiden House of his wife Narcissa, as Arcturus was usually the man to be aware of any significant and insignificant changes a on the magical and political arenas, not to mention being the Head of one of the strongest Noble Houses in Magical Britain.

So when House Le Fay had returned unannounced, Lucius, or rather Voldemort, had realized that Arcturus would know of it, and wanted to use the old man to learn about the newly appeared House. Arcturus understood it all completely, so he had ignored Malfoy, and had enjoyed the show that had happened in the Wizengamot, as Henry had all but in plain speech revealed that Houses Le Fay and Black were allies. The look on Malfoy's face had made Arcturus' day, and the memory still warmed him.

However, even though he could've continued to ignore the Malfoy, Arcturus decided to use the opportunity to send the clear message to Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters, along with possibly reclaim a member of their family. Arcturus didn't give a piss about Draco Malfoy, as the boy was all Malfoy and nothing of Black in his eyes, but Narcissa still could be salvaged. That is, if the youngest of Cygnus' children _wished _to be salvaged and taken back into the Black family. He knew all too well that the foolish Narcissa had married Lucius Malfoy out of love and that she was loyal to her husband, but she was also loyal to a certain degree to House of Black, and now was time for her to decide. Should she wish it, Arcturus and Henry would accept her, but if not… Then House of Malfoy will crumble with Narcissa being there with it.

He had answered the call of Malfoys and allowed to come today, and since all of House Malfoy was coming, Arcturus decided to answer them by gathering all of House of Black, along with House Le Fay. Of course, not all of Blacks were present, with Faye and her children visiting her family, but Regulus, Andromeda with her husband and daughter, Cassiopeia, Henry and Rose did come, along with their most recent prodigal member returning into the fold. They all awaited them, all preoccupied with their own mundane things, such as Rose and Nymphadora chatting near the windows, while Cassiopeia and Henry discussed their own business, with Ted and Regulus swapping stories from their time in law enforcement. He himself was sitting with Andromeda, who sipped the tea.

A loud pop sounded, making them all turn their head to the arrived house elf. Arcturus almost lazily put away the newspaper and spoke up.

"What is it, Khimer?" Arcturus asked of him.

"Master's guests have arrived, as Master had ordered." The house elf reported. "Should Khimer show them to Master's study?"

"Do so, and have refreshments brought here. Our guests may need some, and inform the Black Mistress that our guests have arrived." Without another word, house elf left, while everyone in the room gathered up.

"Are you sure you what us all here today? From what I understand about these meetings, it's usually conducted between Heads of the Houses only." Ted Tonks spoke up. "Plus, I'm not exactly a Black family member, and I doubt that Lucius will be all too pleased to see his unwanted cousin here, not to mention one that is a half-blood."

"I don't give damn about what blonde ponce likes or not, and you should stop caring about it as well." Arcturus simply stated to Ted. "You are married to Black witch and have father a powerful witch of Black family descent and blood. In my eyes, you are more of Black family member right now than Narcissa, so you will stay here. As for the meeting, it sends the right message to have all of us here for them to see."

"Make it clear as day that House of Black is together and are past whatever grudges that were between us in the past, not to mention that House Le Fay is united with our House." Andromeda stated with a small smile. "And given the fact that Bella is out now, you plan to have Narcissa return to House Black, don't you?"

"It is time she has decided for herself on whose side she is on, as there is a war coming, and I need to be certain that _all _of Blacks stand as one in the face of our adversaries." Arcturus stated to them all. "Either she chooses to remain with Malfoys, or she'll return to House of Black. Today is the day she decides it."

"What about Draco? I know that he is a ponce just as much as his father, but can't he also be salvaged and reeducated on how to be a proper Black?" Nymphadora asked of Arcturus, who looked at her with a stoic expression. "Look, Gramps, we all know that you don't give two shits about him, but he is a kid and hasn't done anything to our House, and he _is _of Black bloodline, just like me. Why don't we extend the invitation to him as well? Plus, if he is in, I think that his mommy will follow far more willingly."

"Hm, there is sound point in your words. Very well, but only if he hasn't taken the Death Mark like his father. I won't have any slaves of that half-blooded bastard polluting my House with their presence." Arcturus stated. "And if he has taken it… He'd better burn it off on my eyes, or be gone before I lose my patience."

Just as Arcturus had said that, the doors into the study opened up, revealing the three persons stepping in. Lucius Malfoy, his son Draco and wife Narcissa, all three looked shocked and surprised to see not only members of House Black, but also House Le Fay in its entirety, along with Tonks. Lucius had wanted to talk with Arcturus in a more private manner, to try and gain as much information as possible from the old Lord, but he most certainly didn't expect to see this kind of picture before him. He only now had started to realize that he had been played by Arcturus, who had decided to make it loud and clear for his Lord on whose side he was, along with the fact that Arcturus had unified House Black, which was not good news for him and the Dark Lord.

And bad news wasn't something that His Lord had liked to receive, and he was not merciful to the messengers of them. The news of House Le Fay reemerging from the past and taking position of power once more were displeasing, especially given the fact that he had only learned of it _after _the Wizengamot, and _not _from Lucius Malfoy, who was tasked to learning about it.

But that wasn't the most displeasing thing for his Liege, oh no. What had truly set him off was learning of the fact that Prince Le Fay was also of the Slytherin descent, and has rightfully claimed the title of _Lord Slytherin_. The very news of that had enraged Voldemort to the point that the very mansion of Malfoy had shook violently. Learning of the fact that he was now rendered to a mere title of pretender, and not even one with the full claim had infuriated Voldemort. He has expressed his fury quite clearly, when he had tortured through _Crucio_ Lucius, along with half a dozen of his Death Eaters' colleagues. And while all of them had taken the punishment, as The Dark Lord saw them all as failures in not seeing the rebirth of House Le Fay, Lucius had received _extra_ attention from his Lord.

He was already threading on thin ice after his debacle with the Basilisk, but after this failure, he had to sacrifice the most valuable thing to him just to prove his loyalty before the Lord. Fortunately for him, Voldemort saw his sacrifice as a fitting tribute, and let him live, ordering him to still establish contact with Houses Black and Le Fay. It was clear as day that Prince Le Fay was no friend to Dumbledore, and if that were the case, then it could be used by the Dark Lord, even if Prince Henry Le Fay was also Lord Slytherin. The Dark Lord understood perfectly clear that having House Le Fay as an ally, even a temporary one, could yield great benefits to them. Just the armies of magical beings of House Le Fay were a far too important resource to pass up, not to mention that all of Werewolves and Vampires owed their allegiance to House Le Fay now, who had in the past fought on the side of the Dark Lord.

Prince Le Fay had kept his word on not obeying Ministry and establishing his own sphere of influence, as he had abolished the Ministry's laws in his lands, concerning the magical races. Through their contacts within the Werewolves' communities and Vampires' courts, they had learned about the oaths of loyalty that both Crawley and Alucard had given to Prince Le Fay, who had accepted them and welcomed to his Council, a governing apparatus that he has apparently created to run his small kingdom in an orderly fashion. And so far, he did appear to be handling things well, with Ministry still not intervening in any fashion, even though Prince Le Fay has already started to gain more and more political ground. Over the past 10 days, four Noble Houses have separately taken oaths of loyalty and vassalage towards House Le Fay. Said Houses were Patil, Jones, Brown and Greengrass. The three first were minor and insignificant, even if they were Light Families, but the last one…

House Greengrass was among the most promising and powerful Neutral Houses in Magical Britain, not to mention that it had wide connections with Noble Houses from other countries. For such a House to declare themselves as vassals of House Le Fay was something unprecedented, even if their lands were located in realm of Le Fay. Lucius couldn't understand what had forced David Greengrass to act like that, but he could understand if Greengrass had wanted to unite the Houses of Le Fay and Greengrass.

There were still no information about Henry Le Fay having a bride or a lover, and it is possible that Lord Greengrass hopes to have his Heiress or second daughter married into the House Le Fay. Still, whatever the reason for his actions, it was clear soon enough many more Houses may flock to Le Fay House, especially if he manages to make an impression on the ball he is organizing. Shaking off the thoughts, he and his family went on ahead to greet their host. He could clearly see that Narcissa had put on her best façade, hiding her true emotions well, while his son couldn't have bothered to do so. He had instructed Draco to behave himself and not make a fool of himself and their family, as well as to keep his mouth shut. Lucius had hoped that his son will be able to follow his instructions.

Having shortened the distance, Lucius bowed to his host, who answered with quick nod, before Head of House Malfoy spoke up.

"Lord Black, it is an honor to be received as guests in your home." Lucius diplomatically spoke, with Lord Black and others not really buying into his sophisticated look. "Forgive me, but I was under the impression that this would be a private meeting."

"Your impressions were incorrect, Lord Malfoy, though one would've understood that this would not be a private meeting between the two of us." Lord Black answered. "You've brought with you all of House Malfoy, however small in numbers it is. The traditions dictate that I respond in kind, and so we have." He motioned for them all to be seated.

"Yes, although perhaps our business is best conducted just between the two of us. After all, such matters can be… tedious for others to bear with us." Lucius noted out. "I am sure that my beloved wife wouldn't oppose to reconciling with her Aunt Cassiopeia, and Draco has expressed his interest in getting to know his Uncle Regulus in a more personal matter."

"Really? I would've thought that Narcissa would first try to chat with our dear Andromeda here and her daughter instead of me." Cassiopeia spoke in an ironic manner. "Besides, unlike Andromeda, Narcissa never were much of an interesting conversationalist in my eyes, especially when given her very limited specter of talents and skills, when compared to her more accomplished and promising older sisters." Narcissa flared up in red when she heard it.

"And Draco will have all the time to get to know in Hogwarts, since I'll be teaching the DADA subject." Regulus spoke in a neutral manner, surprising Draco at that one. "But didn't your little pet Snape report that to you and Voldemort, or did he abstain from mentioning my return, like he has made a habit of?" This caught the three off guard.

"Regulus, my dear old friend, I fail to see whatever you mean by…" Lucius tried to speak up, but was interrupted by Arcturus Black.

"Enough with the pretenses and subplots, Malfoy, you were never too good at it anyway." Arcturus openly stated to him, surprising him. "Did you really think that the return of your Master would go unnoticed by me? I am not your little pet Fudge and I don't ignore the obvious signs of trouble brewing. Now, why don't get straight to the point and deliver whatever the message your owner has ordered you to give to me?" Lucius glanced at the sitting near Arcturus members of House Le Fay, who looked not even a little bit surprised at hearing that Voldemort was back.

"Well, since you've mentioned his name so openly, Lord Black, is it safe to assume that Prince Le Fay and Heiress Le Fay are aware of his return as well?" Lucius asked indirectly of Henry, with Arcturus speaking up.

"Why not ask them directly, or did you blind yourself while kowtowing to your Master?" Arcturus spoke to him, before turning to Prince Le Fay. "Apparently, our guests believe you to be naïve like a child, Henry."

"I am anything but naïve to the realities of modern politics, and I am quite well informed on the fact that two thirds of Death Eaters' supporters and direct members are situated in my realm, Lord Malfoy. Did you know that as the Ruler and Protector of those lands, I may… displace the unwanted wizards and witches out of my realm, should I wish so?" Henry remarked, seemingly without any purpose, before turning his attention to the glaring Draco. "Careful with the glare, boy. You are quite a long way from home, and that little glare of yours can be wrongly interpreted, if not subdued."

"I am not afraid of you, pretender." Draco spat out, with Narcissa looking in shock at her son, while Lucius mentally cursed. "You think that just because you hold the name Le Fay and Slytherin, that you are greater than the Dark Lord? You are nothing more than a one-time pretender, hot air and nothing more, the Dark Lord will easily destroy you and…" Draco was about say more, but he could not, as he was silenced, when he felt his throat being grabbed by an invisible force, while Prince Le Fay simply lifted up his right hand in the air.

"Lord Malfoy, I find your son's lack of faith in my rights and power disturbing." Harry stated, as he continued to choke Draco with his power. "Perhaps it would be best if you were to educate him in proper conduct of himself, lest someone else did it for you."

"Prince Le Fay, please, release him." Narcissa practically begged him, before turning to Arcturus. "Arcturus, please…"

"Prince Le Fay, I shall do as you advice, but do please release my son from whatever this curse is." Harry let out a small sigh, before releasing Draco, letting him to cough. "My Lord doesn't wish for us to have any animosities towards one another. In fact, he is far more interested in establishing more productive and amicable relations between us all."

"Is he?" Harry chuckled at the notion.

"Wouldn't have thought the old snakeface to be one to build bridges with people. Especially with those that have effectively spat in his face in front of the entire Wizarding World." Ted remarked, getting a small glare from Lucius. "Let me guess: he wants to get his hands on House Le Fay's armies, not to mention make sure that most of his bootlickers don't change sides."

"Prince Le Fay, Lord Black, is _his _presence all that important on this meeting? He is a muggleborn, barely worth more than a fly." Lucius said in an arrogant manner.

"In my eyes, this man holds greater value than your entire sniveling family combined." Arcturus simply stated to Lucius. "He may have roots of non-magical origin, but he has brought strength and powerful magic into House Black through his marriage to Andromeda and birth of their daughter, where's your marriage with Narcissa bore nothing but disappointment and waste of a potentially strong Black witch."

"Why you old, deranged…" Draco was ready to spat more bile, only to be stopped by a quick glare by Arcturus, who spoke to him.

"Quiet, boy. You will talk when you are allowed to, so keep that foul mouth of yours shut and listen. You may yet learn a few things." Arcturus turned his attention back to Lucius. "So, the Dark Lord wants to have us as allies, to fight his battles and see Dumbledore destroyed together with the rest of his Light Side, is that it? And what does your 'generous' Lord proposes in exchange for our services?"

"You will have the ear and appreciation of the Dark Lord, as well as the place in his circle of most privileged supporters, such as me and many others." Lucius spoke up, turning to Prince Le Fay. "The Dark Lord has returned and he has returned stronger than ever, and the days of Dumbledore and his false Messiah, as you've so aptly made clear to all, are numbered, and it would be utter foolishness to resist him. He is willing to make peace and alliance with you, if you make some concessions."

"Such as giving up my Lordship of Slytherin, granting him and his cohorts' full and unrestricted access through my lands and to have their way with anyone they deem to be of not so pure lineage?" Henry asked of Lucius, who nodded to him.

"A relatively small concession, when considering the other options, milord." Lucius stated to him. "You have made your position with Dumbledore and his friends quite clear in Wizengamot, and James Potter, the fool he is, would never shake hands with you, not after how you've dragged him and his House through mud. And given your position, you simply can't remain neutral, so you have no other option, Prince Le Fay."

"Don't I?" Harry chuckled darkly, before speaking up again. "And has your little pretender of a Lord considered that I don't intend to swear any allegiance to either him, or Dumbledore? In fact, I'd much rather have your Lord gone for good and nothing would make me happier than him _and _Dumbledore gone for good." Harry openly stated to the shocked Malfoys.

"Yo-you can't be serious…" Lucius stated to him in an incredulous manner.

"Oh, but I am dead serious, Lord Malfoy." Henry stated to him. "Your Master has claims on my rightful Lordship, not to mention that the two of us disagree on the matter of non-magicals and wizards and witches of non-magical descent. Along with that, I simply do not trust the man that hides behind a fancy made-up nickname and parades himself as a savior of purebloods and their traditions, when in reality all I see is a mad for power maniac, ready to kill anything and everyone that poses a threat to him and his reign. So as you can see, Lord Malfoy, I won't join up your little afternoon club anytime soon. In fact, let this be the first and last warning: if even a single person, magical or not, whatever origin of him may be, gets hurt because of your actions, I shall make sure to dispatch any and all found Death Eaters with utter ruthlessness and efficiency."

"L-Lord Black, you don't mean to ally yourself with this madman and…" Lucius turned in desperation to Arcturus, who simply interrupted him.

"I already have allied with him and I stand by him, given that he is of Black blood, and your half-breed of a Lord has cost too much to my House and has taken too many members of Black family's lives away." Arcturus stated with stern expression. "Did you really think that I would ever forgive the deaths of many our cousins and nephews, or that I would let deaths of my son, daughter and grandsons go unpunished? He has made an eternal enemy of my House with all these actions, and you can tell him that I, as well as all of us here, will see him pay for all his crimes agaisnt our family."

"You… You all must be utterly insane, if you think that you can stand up to him and even hope to win." Lucius stated to them, rising up. "I will make sure that the Dark Lord knows of your decision, and who knows, he may offer up your life as a gift to Bellatrix once she is released."

"Then be sure to tell him, that his favorite little toy pet has died in Azkaban." A new strong and powerful voice came, forcing the Malfoys rise up and widen their eyes at the sight of the new speaker.

Before them stood none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, dressed in finest robes of House Black, with her long black hair trimmed and washed, face once more displaying the great beauty of the Black witch, while her eyes once more were dark violet color, which looked right at Lucius. She stepped closer to her shocked former colleague, before speaking up.

"What's the matter, Lucius? You look like you've seen a ghost, or is it just too much of a shock to see me in a presentable and sane manner?" Bellatrix asked of him, before turning to equally shocked Narcissa. "Honestly, 'Cissa, I thought you had a better taste in men than this spineless worm. If you needed any guidelines, you could've asked Andy for an advice. Her Ted may not be filthy rich, but he is strong, loyal and knows how to make his wife happy, plus just look at their progeny. If anything, I'd say that our dear Nymphadora here is a true Black witch material, if there ever was one."

"Bellatrix Lestrange… But you are in Azkaban, how are you…" Lucius tried to ask, but said witch interrupted him.

"Bellatrix Lestrange died in Azkaban, a miserable and broken toy that your Master had used for his own devices. I am Bellatrix Black, daughter of House Black and slave to none, _especially_ your Lord and my former husband Rodolphus, thanks to my _true _family here." She looked at the gathered people behind the Malfoys, before turning to Narcissa. "And that family is willing to take you back, Narcissa, if you want to come back."

"What?! Is this some kind of a sick joke?!" Lucius shouted out.

"Quite the opposite, we are quite serious." Arcturus stated to him. "We had no interest in meeting you, Malfoy, only Narcissa and your son, as they are of Black blood. I shall be plain and brief with the two of you: I offer you to come to House of Black and be sheltered away from the war between Voldemort and Dumbledore, as well as being safe of becoming victims of our war. Renounce Voldemort and his supporters, and you are welcome in our House, but do otherwise…"

"You must be truly insane if you think that we will renounce the Dark Lord, not when he has blessed our House." Draco rolled up his sleeve and showed his Dark Mark, causing Regulus, Ted and Nymphadora to shake their head at him. "Do you see? I was elevated by the Dark Lord himself, chosen as one of his heralds and I shall _never _turn against him!"

"You idiot, he didn't elevate you. He just leashed you up like a dog, just as he has done with all of us with that Mark." Regulus told him, before turning to Lucius. "A payment for your failures, is it, Lucius?"

"Listen to me, you blonde idiot, you better burn away that damn Mark away, if you don't want to end up dragged into this war." Rose stated to him.

"Shut your mouth, you filthy pretender!" Draco spat out to her. "Our family will never betray the Dark Lord, and you can have me and my mother to betray him! Isn't that right, Mom?"

Narcissa looked down at the floor, before glancing up at her Black and Malfoy family, seeing that they are expecting her to make the choice. Her mind was telling her, that she should cast away the name of Malfoy and return to House Black, the place where she belonged and where she was cared. Her Black witch nature had also told to do so, even if it meant abandoning her son. Yet, her heart told her to remain where she was, with her beloved husband and son, to be there for them, just as she had always done. She understood too well that there was a storm coming, and that her family would be destroyed by it, with her along with them. Letting out a sigh, she looked up to her Black family and spoke up.

"My place is with my beloved husband and son, Lord Black, Prince Le Fay, and I stand by them." She stated with a neutral, near fake expression, getting shocked looks from Rose and Cassiopeia, while the other looked at her with disappointment. "If you may, we shall be on our way. Thank you for your hospitality, Lord Black." She bowed to him, while victorious looking Malfoys left them, with Narcissa following behind.

"It's not too late, 'Cissa. The door is open for you, always." As Narcissa passed her older sister, Bellatrix told her in a whisper. "Don't let Lucius drag you down that rabbit hole, sister. If you ever want to, just come to me or Andy."

"I will, sis." She whispered back, before the Malfoys left the room, while the Black family came closer to Bellatrix.

"Well, that was a waste of time." Nymphadora stated what most of them thought with a sigh. "Then again, she did fall in love with the ponce and she is a mother, so…"

"She did what any loyal wife and mother would do, I can't fault her for that." Arcturus simply stated. "Even if she is married to such a worthless piece of dragon shit as Malfoy, the fact of her being loyal to him out her free will does her honor, to a certain extent."

"I personally can't believe that Malfoy Jr. is now marked up as well." Ted shook his head at that, before turning to Regulus. "Looks like you'll be teaching more Death Eaters than actual Slytherins in Hogwarts pal."

"Looks like it." Regulus nodded to him. "Perhaps it will be more prudent to focus our attention on dealing with Voldemort's Horcruxes, while we have this calm before the storm. The tracking charm should be finished up in a day or two, right?"

"Three days, and it is ready, but we've already gotten our hands on one of Voldemort's Horcruxes." Henry stated, before turning to Bellatrix, who looked at him with curiosity. "The Cup of Helga Hufflepuff that Riddle asked you to store in your vault? You were right to think it was important to him, and we are lucky that he had trusted your former self more than anyone. Ragnok and his Goblins have already purged it clean of any soul in it, and I now have a fancy new cup to drink from." Harry chuckled a little.

"Glad to help, but don't forget your end of the bargain, Henry. You get everything I know about Voldemort and his schemes, as well as everything about the Death Eaters, and in return you do what I want." Bellatrix spoke to him. "Have you finally tracked her down?"

"After we've confirmed that she was alive, it was an easy matter to find her, made even easier when you've allowed us to get a little of your blood, Bellatrix." Harry simply stated to her. "She lives in a small town, surprisingly close to Albion's Hearth, just 37 kilometers to south-east it. According to what Skadhi and her people have reported to me, she runs a tailor's shop there and makes a decent living, along with raising a 4 year old son." Bellatrix looked with gratitude at him.

"She's been right under my nose all this time, and _I_ didn't know about it?! Oh, I am so going to kill her for making me think she was dead all this time…" Nymphadora jokingly stated.

And while her niece was muttering things to herself and other Black family members chuckled at her, Bellatrix smiled at the news about her daughter. Now that she was finally free both from her father's curse and from prison, she could truly be with her family, as it should've been from the start. Small tear streaks flowed out of her eyes, and she wiped them off with her hand, before Andromeda stepped closer and gave her a hanky.

"Thanks, Andy." She used it to wipe her tears. "I just… It has been so long, and I can't help but feel…"

"I know, Bella." Andromeda hugged her older sister. "Just don't be too hard on her. She did love that idiot and it is her son. She'll need not a judge, but a supportive mother."

"I know, and I am barely can hold myself from rushing there already, just to see them." Bella admitted. "But at the same time… I can't help but be afraid, i-if they don't accept me. I have done too many atrocious things to simply not take it into the account. Morgana, I can't even believe still that you all simply accepted me like that, after all that had happened…"

"We all know that you were as much victim as many of us here, Bella. And Cornelia will understand it too, and if she hasn't change from her schooldays, she'll want to have her Mommy back." Andromeda softly told her. "Whenever she visited our home, she'd never stop asking questions about you, the real you and I've always told her what person you _really _were. Trust me, Bella. She'll be glad to see you."

"I do hope you are right, Andy." Bella softly spoke to her sister.

* * *

**Phew, another long chapter, but worth it. And there you have it folks. Sorry, but I am a bit tired, so I'll keep it brief. Bellatrix Black is in the good guys' team, another Horcrux is gone, Narcissa stays with Malfoys and Cornelia is alive. Next chapter will be out sooner than usual as I'm in the mood for writing, and since I've strayed a little away from my schedule.**

**Next time: Reunion of mother and daughter; Ministry and Dumbledore scheme against House Le Fay.**


	14. Chapter 14

**August the 12****th****. Hastingstown.**

The cracking sound of the apparition signaled the appearance in the back alley of two persons, two women to be more precise. Nymphadora Tonks, dressed in civil clothing, looked out of their spot to see that they haven't been detected, letting her to let out a sigh of relief, as well as to signal her companion an all clear signal. Once she got it, Bellatrix Black, formerly Lestrange, had let out a sigh of relief as well, before she and her companion went out of the alley and onto the streets of the town, with people upon which they came across graciously greeting them in a polite fashion.

It was a relatively small town, barely over seven thousand souls, with the majority of the buildings being only up to two or three levels highs and made in a traditional British style. It had a sense of good old English hospitality and an air of a Victorian era in, as if the time had somehow stopped here and allowed the old era to be preserved here. Of course, that wasn't entirely true, as there were modern automobiles, shops and other stuff, but overall the atmosphere was truly one of an old small English town, of which there are so many romances.

While Nymphadora was taking it all in, Bellatrix was trying her best to relax and let go of the anxiety that she has been feeling for all day, not helped by the fact that she was literally surrounded by Muggles. As a pureblooded Black witch, Bellatrix has associated herself only with the Wizarding World, and has barely ever left it to see the Muggle Britain, and that was ages ago, back before her aunt and father had made her into a murderous psychopath in service of Voldemort. She still shuddered when recalling her darker self, or a fake persona, which ever it was, but at least now she had left her suicidal and self-pitying tendencies behind her, having once more acquired the inner will and strength, thanks to her family.

Regulus hadn't lied when he said that he'd be able to set up a hearing for Bellatrix in a jiffy, and that he did. Barely two days passed after her mental release, Bellatrix faced an ICW's Court, where in a private session, with all the evidences that Regulus and Cassiopeia had presented of Bellatrix having been controlled through Dark Magical Arts, she was pardoned of her crimes and exonerated. She was in shock and tears when she had heard, her feet failing her, and only thanks to Regulus and Andromeda, who had come to support her, did she not plant her face into the floor. Right after she was released, Andromeda and Ted Tonks took Bellatrix into their house, where Cassiopeia and Andromeda began to heal here, a process which was by now largely complete, but the recuperation time had allowed her to reconnect with her family.

Regulus, Cassiopeia and Andromeda were the first to accept her back, with Andromeda not leaving her sister's side for long hours, spending them together in talks and recounts of what had happened. Bellatrix was most grateful to Andromeda for these talks, as well as for just being there for her and helping her. She had also gained a chance to get to know Ted Tonks and their daughter more closely, and she now understood completely why Arcturus liked the guy, which said volumes already.

Ted and Nymphadora were easy-going, caring and kind, but also internally strong and protective, with Ted definitely being the head of the family, even if he let Andromeda say otherwise. Nymphadora, though initially on the defensives, did connect with her aunt, especially through the fact that Bella's daughter and Andy's daughter were closest friends. Bellatrix had spent hours just listening about her daughter's life, only daring to interrupt Nymphadora when she wanted more details on something. Nymphadora didn't mind at all talking with her aunt, and it was clear by now that they were close. Cassiopeia had never been all too close to most of the Blacks, having been the closest with Dorea and her children and grandchildren, but she accepted Bellatrix without any hostilities, which was already something. Faye trusted her husband's word, and too had accepted Bellatrix, but it was clear that the two would need to first learn one another before they would become friends.

The same was true about Henry and Rose Le Fay, former Potters, of whom Bellatrix had learned the truth much to her shock. While the former was initially hostile to her, given the fact of Bellatrix partaking in the attack against Dorea and Charlus Potter, he did calm down after Cassiopeia and Regulus had explained everything. It was clear that he wasn't pleased with the two of the going behind his and everyone else's back, but he did accept their decision, and after Bellatrix had revealed that she extensive and detailed knowledge on Voldemort, Death Eaters and much more, she and Henry had formed a productive and amicable relation. Rose took to Bellatrix much quicker than her brother, something that surprised Bellatrix a little, but not dissuaded her from connecting with the girl. Rose reminded Bellatrix of a younger Andromeda, a notion which brought a nostalgic feel of its own, but didn't sour their relations.

Arcturus Black had always stated with clear words his thoughts and feelings about Bellatrix, seeing her as a mad dog and an unworthy of Black name witch. The meeting between the two was an initially cold and pragmatic test, during which Arcturus had gone through all of Bellatrix's being and mind, using Leggimence and more to see if she truly was a Black witch or not. After hours of grueling testing, Arcturus did relent and accepted officially Bellatrix Black back, annulling her marriage with Rodolphus, as well as offering membership to Cornelia and even her son, after Bellatrix had asked him of it. Arcturus agreed, even though he has clearly stated that he felt repulsed with the idea of Weasley and Prewett blood being mixed again with Blacks. After the downfall of Weasleys, as well as after what had happened with Rose, Arcturus had taken a clearly hostile position towards them, something that Bellatrix supported.

However, even her renewed hatred of Weasleys, Prewetts and Lestranges wasn't going to stop her from seeing her daughter and grandson, to whom she and Nymphadora were going at the moment. Trying to blend in, they walked at a relaxed pace, or at least pretended to do so, in Bellatrix's case, as she was clearly out of her depth in this place, not to mention having spent near decade and a half in prison. Nymphadora glanced at her companion and spoke to her in quiet voice.

"Relax your posture a bit, let go of the stiffness. It's not like the folks here will bite you, although you do draw up to us a few curious onlookers." Nymphadora said to Bellatrix. "Good thing that Mom gave you normal clothing instead of all those robes and gowns. You'd have looked like a Wicked Witch of the West for these folks."

"Even if I knew whom you meant, that still doesn't mean that I am comfortable around them, or in these garments." Bellatrix muttered, dressed in a black jacket, with blouse underneath, long dark skirt and sandals. "Seriously, how do Muggles wear all of it? It makes me feel almost naked without my robe, not to mention the underwear…"

"You do have to give credit to that one, as that works far better in enticing the man than pantaloons." Nymphadora chuckled, with Bellatrix looking at her with a small glare. "Give it time, and you'll get used to them. Plus, with your figure, I think can get yourself admirers in no time."

"I am not looking for any romances any time soon." Bellatrix stated with some coldness. "The last man I was with raped me regularly, with my dark self-enjoying, while the one before that was only interested in a certain red-haired bitch who had eyes on youngest of Potters…"

"Wait, you and Severus Snape?! Yak, I saw the photos of him when he wasn't a walking Frankenstein monster, and even then he didn't look all that appealing to me…" Nymphadora stated to her.

"I wasn't talking about Snape. I couldn't care less about him. No, Lily Evans had turned the heads of more than just Snape, including one Theodore Nott Senior." Bellatrix stated to Nymphadora. "Shame I didn't get to kill her, honestly. After what I've heard from Cassiopeia and Henry about her, she would've been someone that I'd not regret killing. She, and James Potter too. That bastard deserves death even more than Lily."

"Really? Sounds to me like you know something that Harry shouldn't probably hear about him, less he does something stupid." Nymphadora stated, with Bellatrix casting a glance at her. "He has a tendency to do things without thinking them through fully and last time, it had resulted in him being imprisoned in Azkaban. And I _don't _want to lose him again." Nym stated with strength.

"Andy did mention that the two of you were together, although neither you nor that Davis witch are going to be Lady Le Fay." Bellatrix mused. "Let's just say, that the fall of House Potter during the war has been orchestrated not by Dark Lord, but by its current 'official' Lord. We simply followed the information proved to us." Nym widened her eyes at what Bellatrix just told her.

"Morgana's hairy cunt… James was the one who revealed where Charlus and Dorea were?" Nym asked of Bellatrix in a hollow voice, with Bellatrix nodding. "We all thought that it was Pettigrew who sold them out, but not James. We knew he was a cunt, but to do this…"

"Oh he never did directly do so, he had Pettigrew for it. The Marauders knew full well who was the mole, or rat in this case, in the Order, and we knew full well that it was Potter feeding us information about not just Lord and Lady Potters, but also about Michael and Gabriel." Bellatrix informed Nymphadora. "The Dark Lord was all too pleased to use the greed and ambitions of James agaisnt his enemies, especially agaisnt Michael and Gabriel, as those two were among the strongest members of the Order, with Michael being considered someone capable of matching the Dark Lord. He always did state that it was shame he never got to test out that statement for its validity."

"Wait, we all thought that Dark Lord himself had killed Michael. You mean to tell me that he wasn't killed by Death Eaters like Gabriel?" Bellatrix shook her head.

"No, in his death, there was no hand of Death Eaters, as well as in deaths of his wife and children. He was married to a sister of Evan Rosier, and that was enough to give him a sort of immunity from Death Eaters. Isabella and her children died thanks to Snape, probably by the orders of Dumbledore. If you want my personal opinion, Michael died at the hands of Dumbledore, after he had gotten too close to something he wasn't supposed to look into." Bella said to Nymphadora. "His body wasn't found, right?"

"Yeah… Perhaps it is best that Harry doesn't hear about it for now. Maybe, after the ball." Nym thought out loud.

"Maybe. Speaking of your lover, why isn't he with us today? I was under the impression that he wanted to meet Cornelia too." Bellatrix asked of Nymphadora.

"Got a call from Minister of Magic himself, who wanted a meeting with him in person. Harry decided to indulge the idiot, so he is in the Ministry today." Nymphadora told Bellatrix. "His appearance and status have caused one hell of a shitstorm in the Ministry and Wizarding World as a whole. In one fell swoop, he had discredited House Potter, cast shade on Dumbledore, made a fool of the Boy Who Lived, not to mention has garnered the interest of the Minister. I'm thinking that Fudge will try and get Harry under his thumb in some way, probably by making him a Ministry worker or something like that."

"I doubt that he'll agree to that, given the fact of him already being essentially a king in all but name…" Bellatrix chuckled. "He really doesn't give much meaning to purity of blood and origin, not to mention race, does he?"

"Considering that he and Rose had been treated by the society as low class squibs, and how their parents and their friends had looked down and detested them, you can see why Harry has much less problem with non-magicals or those of non-magical origin, even if he is a Slytherin through and through." Nymphadora said to Bellatrix. "He is a decent human being, which is like being a paragon of virtue these days, especially in the Wizarding World, who does the right thing, even if it's seen as foolishness by others. I remember him saving a first-year Gryffindor girl from a Troll, when not even her own Head of the House had bothered to notice her missing. He also never took shit from anyone, especially Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape, a trait that I remember getting him into more trouble than anything else… And something that made me fall for him." Nym said with a small blush.

"Cherish him, Nym. People like him are relics these days, from what I have learned" Bellatrix said to her, before the two of them stopped at the entrance into the tailor's shop. "Is… Is that it?"

"Yep, that's the place Harry told me about." Nym confirmed. "Well, no sense standing here and waiting. Let's go in and reintroduce Cornie's arse to my boot." Nym was already moving towards the door, when Bellatrix suddenly stopped her, grabbing her hand. "Hey, what's the matter? Don't tell me that you are chickening out, auntie?"

"N-no, I a-am not." Bellatrix stammered, her heart racing and thoughts getting a little jumbled up. "I'm just… Do you think that she'll… Accept me, after everything and all that has happened?"

"Look, I know Cornie, or at least knew her five years ago, and I know for a fact that that she didn't believe you being all that evil and stuff, even if you were." Nym said to her, before softly taking her aunt's hand into her own. "Cornelia's missed you, missed you badly. Whenever she had managed to snuck out to my house, she'd make my Mom spill her guts about you, asking about everything, every single little detail. She was ashamed of her family, true, but she wasn't ashamed of her mother and she wanted her to be with her. She always did want someone on whom she could fully rely and… I guess that's what had drawn her Charlie Weasley. The point is, she'll accept you, and if she isn't fully convinced, we'll convince her good and proper, okay?"

"Okay." Bellatrix sighed, before she and Nymphadora opened up the door into the shop and stepped in.

It was a relatively large shop, with manikins displaying gowns, dresses, various garments. The interior was a welcoming and warm one, with a few doors leading into the working place of Cornelia. Nymphadora and Bellatrix observed the place on any signs of information that could help them, but found nothing. The shop seemed empty, but it was possible that Cornelia was simply in the back. Nym made her way to the stand and rang the bell placed there, before she and Bellatrix heard the voice.

"Just a sec, I'm packing your dress, Mrs. Langdon." Nym's eyes widened when she recognized the voice of her cousin and best friend, as did Bellatrix, before they heard the footsteps from the back.

The door in front of Nym opened up and from there stepped out a young woman in her early twenties, dressed in a beige cardigan, jeans and sneakers. She looked like a younger version of Bellatrix Black, with her hair being cut short and reaching only the base of her head, while her eyes were of a warm tone of violet. She had softer slightly softer facial lines than her mother, but that didn't diminish her beauty. Nym looked in surprise at her cousin while Bellatrix simply stood there, looking at her daughter, all grown up. Tears started to well up without a control, with Nymphadora failing to speak up like usual.

Cornelia Lestrange, having stepped into the shop, too had widened her eyes and felt how her heart had skipped a beat at the sight of the two people she had least expected to see in her life. It took her less than a second to recognize her best friend and cousin Nymphadora, with her bright brown hair and dark eyes, dressed in civil clothing. Even though she was a Metamorph, Cornelia would've recognized her anywhere and without mistake, but she was not the one on whom she had focused up her main attention. That object was a woman, who looked like her older version, yet not so much, even with the a few grey lines in her hair. Cornelia hadn't seen the woman before her in many years, yet has remembered her always, not as a murderous psychopath and maniac like most do, but as a mother. A mother, that had been taken away from her and whom she wished to have again in the past.

Stepping out from the stand shocked Cornelia spoke up to them both.

"N-Nym? M-Mom?" She looked at them both, with Nymphadora being the first unfrozen from shock and walking up to her.

"Oh damn it, c'mere, you girl." Without wasting a second, Nymphadora encased her cousin and best friend in a warm and tight hug. "Damn it, Cornie, do you even know how scared I was when you left? Never, _never _do this to me, Cornie, do you hear?! I don't want to lose my sister to anyone or anything again like this." Nymphadora simply kept Cornelia close, with Cornelia accepting it, before they detached, with Nym allowed Cornie to come close to her mother.

"Cornelia…" Bellatrix let out of her mouth as she looked at her. "I… I don't even know what to… You are so…" Failing to say anything proper, Bellatrix wasn't expecting to see her daughter move towards her and embrace her, weeping openly at the sight of her mother.

"Please tell me that this is for real." She told her through tears, with Bellatrix embracing her close. "Please, tell me that this isn't a dream or anything. Please… Tell that it is really you, Mom."

"It is me, my little Angel." Bellatrix said to her with tears, hugging her, with Cornelia smiling at the mention of her childhood name. "I am here, we both are here for you. And I am not letting you go, Cornelia, not this time, nor ever."

"So do I, girl. And you also owe me to kick your bottom for faking your death." Nym responded to her in a joking manner, as Cornelia detached from her mother.

"You never change, Nym… God it's so great to see you too." Cornelia told her, before her eyes widened from the realization of something important. "Wait, how did you find me? Who else knows? Does Dumbledore and Weasleys know?!" Cornelia was about to go into a panic, before Bellatrix took her daughter into her arms and calmed her.

"Calm down, Angel, you are safe. Only House of Black knows that you are here, and no one else, especially Weasleys and Dumbledore." Bellatrix spoke calmingly to her daughter, soothing her, before she calmed down completely and detached from her. "We found you thanks to Prince Le Fay, who is a member of our House. He and the other Blacks, safe for Sirius, are firmly agaisnt both Dumbledore, and the Dark Lord, and neither know about you and your son."

"Thank God, but wait, h-how are you here, Mom? Not that I am not glad to see you, but…" Cornelia was interrupted by Nymphadora.

"You can thank Regulus Black for that, as well as Auntie Cassiopeia. Turns out, our Grandpa and Aunt Walburga were utter nutjobs and had used some crazy Black ritual to make your Mom into a psycho that everyone knew her as, but they messed up, so she was able to raise you without her dark psycho self doing any harm to you. Anyway, long story short, your Mom got fixed up, Regulus got her pardoned in the ICW's Court, and now we are here to introduce my boot to your arse for not coming to us for help with disappearing and your son." Nymphadora stated to her.

"I couldn't do it, Nym, especially after my Grandparents had all but opened up a hunt on me after they've learned about my condition and who was the father. They were out to kill me, and I don't mean metaphorically." Cornelia told them both. "Lestranges have always cared for their blood, even more than Blacks, and given their violent and bloody history with Prewetts and Weasleys… I instantly became their number one target, and if I went to Weasleys, it would've been no better. God, Charlie outright told me that if I ever told anyone about our relationship, he'd make it clear to everyone that I had seduced him and make me into a whore in the eyes of everyone…"

"If I ever get my hands on that damned red-haired bastard, he'll pay with his life for what he has done to you." Bellatrix said darkly.

"And as for Arcturus… You know how much he loathed Mom, right?" Nym nodded to Cornelia. "As for your parents, I was scared that your mom wouldn't let me in, not to mention that I didn't want to endanger you in any way."

"Silly Cornie, you know that Mom would've taken you in without batting an eye, and Dad would've personally gone and strangled up your lover boy for what he did to you." Nym told her, making Cornelia smile a little. "So you've faked your death and went to live here, with your kid. How did you manage?"

"It wasn't easy, especially at first when I knew no one around here, but people here are nice and far better than the magical folk, so I've pulled through." Cornelia spoke as she looked at her mother. "The money that you've left me in your private vault have also helped, though I didn't borrow all that much. Just enough get me on stable feet, with shop, supplies, essentials for Justin and other things before I started to earn enough money to pay for it all on my own."

"Those are your money, Cornelia. Yours and Justin's, my grandson." Bellatrix said to her with a smile. "A grandson, which I would like to meet, if that is okay with you. I know all about how that Weasley boy betrayed your trust, but I know that your son is far more your child than he is his, and that he is innocent of anything and all his father has done. I… I simply want to meet him, to get to know my grandson, i-if you will allow it."

"Yes, I will. Just give me a few minutes, I've got a client coming in for her dress and afterwards, I'll take you to him." Bellatrix and Nymphadora nodded to her, moving away from Cornelia and her client, before they were done, and the trio headed into the back of shop and upstairs.

Once there, Cornelia opened up a door into her son's room, revealing a small boy, with messy black hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white shirt and black shorts, drawing pictures with pencils. Bellatrix looked warmly at her grandson, seeing not a progeny of Weasley, but a beautiful young child, her grandson, preoccupied with his drawings. Cornelia smiled, before speaking softly.

"Justin." She saw her son snapped out from entranced drawing process and looked at his mom with surprised eyes. "Sweetie, I want you to meet someone very precious to me, okay?"

"Okay." He said without missing a beat, rising up and looking up at the women. "Hi, I'm Justin. It's nice to meet you." He smiled to them a sincere and kind smile, with Bellatrix smiling to him, along with Nymphadora.

"Gosh, he's so sweet and yummy that I could just eat him." Nym said jokingly. "Hi there, little guy. I'm Tonks, or you can call me Nym or Dora, if you like. I'm your Mom's awesome older sister."

"Younger sister, cousin." Cornelia reminded to her with a stern look. "By no less than four months, might I add."

"Aw, can't you just let me have my moment with your kid. Besides, I can always make myself look older." Nym demonstrated it by aging herself up just by a few years through her metamorphic abilities.

"Wow, you are a Witch, just like Mommy, aren't you?" Justin looked at her with wide eyes.

"Yep, though this little trick only I can do, and not even your Mom can replicate it." Nym smiled to him.

"Wow, and who are you? Mom says that people always say each other's name when they meet for the first time." Justin turned his head to Bellatrix, who smiled wider to him than before.

"That is true, and I am Bellatrix, but you can call me Bella… Or Grandmother Bella." Justin widened his eyes at her, before turning to his Mom. "I am your Mom's Mom and your Grandmother, Justin."

"Mom told me that bad people hurt you and didn't let you come back to her, and that Grandfather is really bad." Justin told them. "Are you back forever? Are you going to stay?"

"Yes, yes I am, and I'm not letting anyone hurt me or you, or your mother, not even Grandfather." Bellatrix stepped closer, and hugged her grandson from the first time, holding him close to herself and not letting him go.

**Several hours later.**

The small family had stayed in for hours, with Bellatrix not letting her grandson out sight and not tiring from him asking her and Nym all kinds of questions. Cornelia even thought about intervening and letting her mother and cousin a chance to breathe before he started asking them something more, but the two Black women were alright and didn't mind at all. They shared a wonderful lunch, during which Nym would constantly make faces just to make Justin laugh, even when Cornelia openly had threatened to hex her with a wand. Bellatrix simply sat there and watched it all with a smile on her face.

It was past noon, and with all the excitement, Justin felt a little sleepy, so Cornelia had let him go and take a nap, while Nymphadora suddenly received a call through Imp from Kingsley, informing her that Dumbledore was looking for her. After she left, Cornelia and Bellatrix were left alone in the kitchen drinking tea, with Bellatrix speaking up.

"He looks so happy and sweet when he's sleeping. I can't help but remember you being the very same way when you've slept on my lap." Bella said with a small smile to Cornelia. "I am sorry I wasn't there for you, for both of you, Cornelia. I wish I was stronger."

"I know, and don't apologize, Mom. I am just happy that you here now, healthy and free." Cornelia said to her. "You were already strong enough to not let whatever was in control of you to hurt me, and let me have a mother I knew loved and cared for me, when opposed to father that loathed and nearly hated my very existence… And all because I wasn't a son he wanted."

"He won't be having any sons anymore, not for much longer and from Azkaban, where he'll rot for the rest of his life with his brother." Bellatrix said to her, assuring her. "And even if Voldemort breaks them out somehow, they won't get nowhere near you and Justin, not with me and House of Black on watch."

"So, the rumors _are _true?" Cornelia asked of her mother, who nodded to her, letting the younger mother to let out a sigh. "Goddamn it, why do the worst of the worst are unable to just stay dead? And if he is back, than you are standing against him now, with Dumbledore or…"

"House of Black, as well as I, stands against them all, Cornelia, with Prince Le Fay and his realm with us." Bellatrix told her. "Do you know anything about that big castle not far from here to the coast? That's where House Le Fay resides, Albion's Hearth, and he's firmly agaisnt Voldemort and Dumbledore."

"Yeah, I know about the place, as do the folks around here. People believe it to be haunted and cursed, as no one who went there got back, ever." Cornelia stated. "Spoke about ghosts haunting it, or that it was some sort of secret military object, but my guess was that it was simply too charmed up to be looted out. Anyway, and I take it that Prince Le Fay has helped out not from the good of the heart, so what does he want in return for this reunion?"

"Actually, this was the part of our agreement, so he finding you was paying me up for my information." Bellatrix told Cornelia. "I've come here to see my daughter and my grandson, Cornelia, and to offer any help and protection that I can. You don't need to hide and you can return back to the Wizarding World, House of Black is ready to accept both you and Justin in."

"Sounds rather tempting, Mom, but… Don't take this the wrong way, I am really glad to see you and Nym, and I am excited to have you with us, but I am _not _looking forward to returning back into the Wizarding World." Cornelia told her. "Before you start up about me not being a proper witch or something like that, let me just say, that this is our with Justin home, a place that he calls his home. And I am not taking it away from him, and I won't let anyone from the Wizarding World hurt him in any way, especially with Weasleys out there. We have a life, a good life here, Mom, and I won't change for anything. I like tailoring, and I love this town and its people, and I've come to appreciate this life, Mom, so sorry, but I am coming back just to be a Witch."

"And I haven't come here to drag you out there, Cornelia." Bella assured her, taking her hand into her own. "I came here to be with you, and make sure that you are safe and happy. If this is where you are content with your son, than I am happy. I can understand you resentment of Wizarding World, and I'm starting to think about giving the Muggle World a try. And when I said about House of Black welcoming you two, I meant as a family that accepts its members, not as resources to be used. If you don't want to show up in Wizarding World and remain as you are, than we won't ruin your life and let you be. Prince Le Fay will do the same, though he will have some of his subjects look out for you and this town, seeing as this is his territory. I just want to be there for you, Cornelia, to make up for all those years I've lost, to help however I can and get to know you and Justin. If you will let me…"

"I thought we've established that I'm all for it, Mom." Cornelia said to her with a smile. "And Justin wouldn't let you go either. You've already captivated him, Mom, and once he likes something, he doesn't let it go. I would know, since he gets it from me."

"And you get that from me, Angel." Bellatrix smiled to her, as they sat together and sipped tea, as they should have done for so many years they robbed of.

* * *

**Earlier. Ministry of Magic.**

The Floo portal flared up in green fires, as a small group of people exited it, being led by none other than Henry Arthur Le Fay, who was dressed in colors of his House, with an ultramarine rich long coat, with golden embroidery, along with symbol of his House on the upper areas of his sleeve. He also had dark pants and boots, with a white shirt underneath and dark vest above it.

Behind him followed a group of High Elves, dressed in relatively civilian clothing for Magical Society, with their crimson and golden robes, coats and cowls, which served to hide away weapons, both for melee and ranged. These were High Elves were an Honor Phoenix Guard, some of the most lethal and skilled warriors on Earth, even among other Magical races. Trained in both the non-magical and magical ways of combat, they are the definition of lethal beauty in combat, who were led by their leader, a young looking High Elven woman, with platinum blond long hair, made into a high long tail, and blue eyes, which seemed to look right into someone's soul. Her name was Carissa Whitefeather, captain of the Phoenix Guard unit assigned by King Hirandyl to guard Prince Le Fay and House Le Fay in general. And now she was at her liege's right side, moving carefully and watching for any trouble, not caring for the fact that they were drawing attention.

Nor did Henry care for it, simply glad that the people were giving him a wide berth and eased his path to the Minister. It was an interesting surprise for him and others, to receive a personal invitation to Minister, delivered by Fudge's own personal owl. Henry didn't anticipate that Fudge would act so soon, but perhaps it was a lapse of his own judgment and underestimation, something that he would have to deal with. Still, he answered the summon swiftly, agreeing to the meeting and arriving in time, though with a small armed force for protection, an advice from Carissa, who had pointed out that his appearance and speech in the Wizengamot has made him quite some powerful enemies.

After almost two weeks, the Wizarding World's political situation and balance of power has changed to an almost unrecognizable before state. If House of Potter was a political powerhouse, largely due to the status of William and help of Dumbledore, than now they've been mired with mud, having lost an enormous amount of prestige, political power and even authority. Not many Houses would forgive what they have done, and there were now only a very small number of Houses that dared to even communicate with House Potter after it was revealed that they have mistreated their children, as well as their part in incarceration of Harry Potter.

Words of Rose have caused many Noble Houses to question if Harry Potter was truly the one responsible of unleashing The Basilisk, or if he was simply an escape goat for Dumbledore and his supporters, who were unable to deal with the crisis. In any case, the glory and revered status of House Potter was now a thing of the past, and even The Boy Who Lived, after the Prince Le Fay's words, has become a glorified pariah in the community.

As for Dumbledore, he had obviously tried to contain the situation and avoid any major damage to his own reputation and status, but he was too late, as his reputation has taken a significant hit, and people no longer looked at him as an infallible wise sage and savior from Grindelwald. No, now people started to ask uncomfortable for him questions, as well as think that he wasn't fully suited anymore to run Hogwarts, especially given the fact of _numerous_ threats that have sprung up in there for children over the years, with Basilisk and Acromantulas being just some of them. Amelia was already in the process of forming a commission to access and judge the actions of Dumbledore and his staff in regards to teaching and protecting children in Hogwarts. For now, he was able to delay it through his back channels in the Ministry, but perhaps Harry would be able to sway the Minister to hasten the process of forming said commission, if enough reason was given to him.

Harry and his guards have reached the doors of Minister's cabinet, where they were met by a mop of ginger hair of Weasley, dressed in the official Ministry's robes. It didn't take long for Henry recognize the third son of Weasleys, the always arrogant, high strung and hungry for the authority and power Percy Weasley. He looked shocked at the entourage of Prince Le Fay, before he spoke up.

"I-I am sorry, but Minister is expecting a guest to arrive, so he is an available." Percy stated to them. "You should've arranged an audience in advance, if you wanted to meet the Minister."

"And you should know those that the Minister expects, clerk." Carissa told to the arrogant young man. "Your Minister expects Prince Le Fay, and he is here for their audience. Now, stand aside and let us pass."

"I'm afraid that I have to verify your identity, and even so, you can't just barge into Minister's office with such a mob of people all at once." Percy said in indignation. "Your numbers, and the fact that you are clearly of inhuman origin is enough for me to call up the Aurors and…"

"And shut your mouth and open your eyes for all our sakes, especially yours, if you value your post, Weasley." Kingsley Shacklebolt came up and spoke up, before turning to Prince Le Fay. "Prince Le Fay, a pleasure to see you again."

"Likewise, Auror Shacklebolt." Harry shook his hand. "It would seem that my security detail and Minister's secretary are in a conflict of sorts. Could you clarify the situation, so that we may all get back to our business?"

"Certainly, Prince Le Fay." Shacklebolt nodded to him, before turning to Percy. "Weasley, this man is Prince Henry Arthur Le Fay, and he is the man that the Minister is waiting for. Stop trying to play center of the earth and let them past."

"Very well, but I am afraid that only one person can go in with Prince Le Fay. Standard protocol and procedure." Percy Weasley relented, with Prince Le Fay nodding to him.

"Very well, than the rest of my security detail will wait here, to keep you company and respond if there is a… an accident of any sort in works. Carissa, you are with me." High Elf captain nodded to him, moving ahead of her liege, pushing Weasley off their path and opening the door for them.

Harry and Carissa stepped inside the cabinet, where they were greeted by the sight of Minister Cornelius Fudge and his Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge, sitting at the table and waiting for him. Minister and his minion put on their sweetest looking smiles and faces, rising up to greet their guests, with the former moving ahead to greet his guest.

"Ah, Prince Le Fay, welcome, welcome. It is so good to see you again, milord." He hurried to shack hands with Prince. "I am very grateful and honored that you have answered my invitation in such a short notice, though you've left with no time to prepare a proper welcoming."

"The feeling is mutual, Minister, though no such things were necessary. I believe this was to be a private discussion between us." Harry looked at the pink toad who smiled sweetly to him.

"And yet, you saw fit to bring this… Person along with you, milord." Dolores barely managed to contain her façade of a sweet looking woman. "I am sorry, but could you introduce us to your companion."

"Certainly. This is Carissa Whitefeather, captain of my High Elven security contingent, and one of my personal bodyguards." Said High Elf nodded curtly. "Given my position and status, a matter of personal security is treated by my vassals quite seriously, so at the advice, I have deployed their recommended contingents. A decision that I happen to be comfortable with."

"Yes, well, if you trust this non-human, than so shall we." Cornelius stated without any care for his words. "Ah, Prince Le Fay, this is my personal Undersecretary Dolores Umbridge."

"We have met, not long before the Wizengamot session." Prince Le Fay stated coldly, with Dolores not losing her smile. "And I recall you trying to order an Auror to arrest me for my disagreement with a general view on a certain piece of decoration in the Atrium."

"Oh, it was a minor mistake, milord. Had I been aware of your status, there wouldn't have been any incident whatsoever." Dolores assured him and Minister.

"Hm, I believe there was a matter you wished to discuss with me, Minister?" Harry turned his head to Fudge, who nodded and led them to the table, with him and Dolores taking seats at the head of the table, while Harry sat in front of them, with Carissa standing.

"Is your companion not going to sit?" Dolores asked of Prince Le Fay, with Carissa answering.

"Being seated obstructs my movements and increases time for me to properly react to a possible threat." Carissa simply stated.

"Surely you do not expect to find yourself in any form of trouble, especially within the Ministry's walls, milord." Fudge laughed openly at the statement he just gave to them all.

"Who knows, Minister, who knows…" Harry mysteriously and cryptically said to them. "Now, I believe there was a matter you wished to discuss? We are both busy persons, and as I am currently in the middle of organizing a proper ball in honor of the Ministry, I believe it would be prudent that we've departed with the social drivel and gotten to the point, Minister."

"Y-you certainly don't mince words, milord." Fudge gulped. "Very well, I shall be honest with you. The Ministry has been informed through Head of the DMLE about your… reforms, concerning the magical beings and creatures that inhabit your realm. The nature of said reforms happens to be in conflict with Ministry's set policies in that area, milord."

"I am well aware of it, Minister, as I am quite well aware about the deeply unjust and unfounded prejudice that is prevalent among the Ministry's workers and ranks, reaching to the very top of the power chain." Harry stated without missing a beat, with Fudge gulping again, and Dolores eyeing him with a barely contained hatred. "Fortunately, I happen to be free of such foolish notions, and see no point in following an ultimately wasteful and flawed policy, regarding magical races."

"You can't honestly see those half-breeds and animals as equal to us Wizards and Witches, Prince Le Fay." Dolores Umbridge stated without a care of the fact that Carissa was here. "And your opinion of Muggles is also concerning, not to mention that there are rumors of you courting a half-blooded witch, rumored to be a full blooded Muggle." Harry resisted an urge to laugh at this particular rumor, even if it was half true.

"Clearly, you have become a victim of rampant rumors, Ms. Undersecretary. And, as a personal advice, you should revise your knowledge about the magical beings and creatures, because what you have said just now could see made a laughing stock in any educated society." Harry saw her become red with anger, while he turned to Fudge. "As for my views about them, I see them equal to us, and I happen to even admire those of non-magical origin. Their ability to adapt and evolve past their limitations, as well as progress their technologies is something I find worth respect and admiration. The Wizarding World could learn much from them."

"As if they have anything of worth to offer us." Dolores said without care.

"Quite a few things, among which we already utilize the train to Hogwarts, a model of which is already considered antiquated and helplessly obsolete by non-magical standards." Harry said without missing a beat. "I could give you a list of things that would serve to improve the general conduct of Ministry, if you want, but I believe that we are derailing from our point. Minister, I believe it is clear that I have no intention to reverse my decisions, regarding the magical beings, sworn to me by their oaths."

"Yes, yes, I can see that clearly." Fudge nodded to him. "And, given the fact of your rights and autonomy, you are fully in the right to enact them, but you must understand that there are many in our society that may not get the right message with these reforms. They may feel threatened with such a wide berth of freedoms, given to magical races."

"And I do believe that I have made it perfectly clear, that should there be an altercation or conflict of any sort, it will be dealt with swiftly and accordingly." Prince Le Fay reminded Minister. "However, it would seem that my word isn't much of a guarantee for many. I suppose that you have a solution to placate any possible rising tensions?"

"Indeed I do." Fudge proudly stated. "Now, the Ministry will not hamper any of your rights and privileges, which we won't. But it has also reached our ears that you have formed a Council of sorts, to help you in governing your realm, made of representatives of magical races that are bound to you. However, it would appear that there isn't anyone to represent the interests of Magical Britain itself in there, as well as the Witches and Wizards."

"Your information isn't accurate, not completely, Minister." Harry stated to him. "I have already appointed Lord Greengrass, one of my recently sworn vassals, to a position of councilor on matters with magical Nobility, while Miss Patricia Davis has been appointed as councilor and representative of the first generation magical population. As for my non-magical representative, that post is currently vacant, though not for long, but if you are referring to someone representing the interests of Ministry itself, I believe I would be willing to accommodate. Who would you recommend for that posting, Minister?"

"Ms. Dolores Umbridge, of course." Dolores smiled sweetly to him. "She has been one of my most loyal and efficient workers, as well as my most trusted advisor for many years. She has the experience and is well versed in many matters, so I am certain that she will make an excellent advisor to you."

"A notion that we do not share, Minister." Harry rebuffed him and Dolores. "The fact of her treating magical beings as beneath her, as well as her attitude towards the non-magicals, not to mention certain rumors I have heard, regarding her other views on things leaves me in belief of her not being suited for such a role. Especially when there could be someone more… Productive, up to times and open-minded person filling that role."

"Well, I suppose that you have a recommendation?" Minister asked of Harry, ignoring Dolores.

"I happen to have one." Harry said to Minister. "During my work with DMLE on eradication of the Acromantula threat, I have made an acquaintance with one of the Aurors, Ms. Nymphadora Druella Tonks. She struck me as a loyal to the Ministry, yet an active and bright person. As you are aware, House of Black is my closest ally, and I believe that Arcturus Black would react quite positively, to see her moved to a position of prestige and responsibly such as my advisor, especially at your behest."

"Yes, I have heard of this Auror, but she is only a half-blood and I was under the impression that House of Black has severed contact with her mother, Andromeda Tonks, due to her marrying a muggle." Fudge said to Harry.

"Lord Arcturus has admitted to me in private, that he plans to enact certain changes in the House of Black, one which would see it's more promising and lesser connected through nobility and blood persons brought closer into the household." Henry said to him, as if sharing a secret. "Lady Bones, with whom I remain in contact, has stated that Ms. Tonks' loyalty is to Ministry, and she is wasting her abilities while in DMLE. Apparently, she was one of the brightest Witches of her generation in Hogwarts. It would be a shame to see such potential wasted without letting it flourish, and if she were to be appointed at your behest, Minister, I would be positively grateful for making such a well thought choice. And my gratitude is expressed through actions, that I can assure you."

"Is it? And what form of… gratitude could expect for considering your words?" Fudge already began to think of possible things that Prince Le Fay could get to him.

"Such as my personal support in the upcoming elections, as well as of all my vassals and friends. Along with that, I could provide you with resources and advice to see Dumbledore effectively removed from his position of power." Harry let out the smallest of smiles. "We both would prefer that relic of antiquity finally retired from power and public, and I believe, that we combining our efforts would see him finally allowed to rest from all that responsibility and power."

"Would you mind sharing with me, what is your reasoning for distrusting Dumbledore?" Fudge asked of Harry, who nodded to him.

"I do not trust Dumbledore simply due to the fact of him having far too much power and influence, and acting like an old and tired man that he makes himself to be. He abuses power for his own benefits, as seen with the unjust imprisoning of Harry Potter, along with covering up all the information concerning trouble in Hogwarts, like with Basilisk and follies with Tri-Wizard Tournament. If you ask me, I say that the man likes to God with everyone and that such man shouldn't be trusted with protecting and guiding future generation of Magical Britain. Just the fact of his employing a known Death Eater, as well as constant change of DADA's teachers speaks for itself." Harry reminded Fudge of all it, with him nodding to it. "If anything, someone should've long have looked into this case more thoroughly and made sure, that children are safe and sound, and that they receive a proper education from responsible and professional teachers. Perhaps, the Ministry could supervise such an inspection?"

"Hm, you have a valid point, and you make a sound point as well." Fudge admitted to Prince Le Fay. "I shall consult with Ms. Bones on all of that, she has been at Dumbledore's throat about creating a commission. As for our matter, I believe I will consider it and give you my answer before the ball, but I believe that we will be able to have a productive relation, Prince Le Fay."

"I happen to believe so as well, Minister." Harry smiled to him, internally chuckling at a scheme done well.

* * *

**Meanwhile. Hogwarts.**

Dumbledore's Floo portal lighted up, and from it exited Nymphadora Tonks, nearly stumbling out on a full meeting of the Order of the Phoenix. She was surprised to see nearly all of the Order assembled looking at her, while not seeing Kingsley anywhere near. Collecting her thoughts and senses, she looked at Dumbledore and spoke up.

"Hey, what's up? I wasn't aware that we had a meeting today, and I'm pretty certain I didn't forget that. Also, where's Shacks?" Nym asked without missing a beat.

"Kingsley is currently on a mission of the Order in the Ministry, but that is beside the point." Dumbledore said. "Nymphadora, it has come to our attention that you may possess certain information regarding a very important topic, and we would like you to share it with all of us, for the Greater Good of all."

"Well, if I had known anything important about either Le Fay or Voldemort, I would've told you. I may be back in good graces with House of Black, but Arcturus keeps me and my folks in the dark about Le Fays." Nymphadora lied to them all without any trace.

"Yes, we are aware of it, but there is something that you can tell us about that may help us." Dumbledore spoke.

"Yeah, and what is it?"

"Harry Potter."

* * *

**Well, looks like there is a plot twist… Sorry, but I couldn't help myself. Not much to speak of, except that it will be cleared up soon enough.**

**Next time: Order's plots; Marauders unleash a catastrophe upon House Le Fay  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**Hogwarts.**

"Harry Potter?" Nymphadora asked again of Dumbledore, along with everyone, while internally she had begun to get worried and plan out possible outcomes of this meeting, most of which seemed to go down south.

"Yes, the eldest son of our dearest friends James and Lily here, and one of my worst failures." Dumbledore said somewhat sorrowfully, while Potters resisted an urge to cringe at the mention of their eldest. "As I am sure you are aware, dear Nymphadora, young Harry was, what you would call, not a very socially active person."

"More like he was a delinquent and a drama queen much like his father and his friends." Snape openly stated without care about James and Marauders giving him a collective glare. "Let's not sugar coat it, Professor: Harry Potter was an arrogant, self-absorbed, disrespectful swine, who cared _nothing _about the authority and listening to his betters, especially his Head of the House. The worst Slytherin student in all its time, despite what his marks would suggest, along with some people stating otherwise. And he had close to no friends, safe for you, Tonks." Snape looked at her with his scarred face, making Nym shiver a bit.

"Yes, most of our teachers here recall that out of all the student body that was studying here at the time, you were his closest friend, despite the difference in age." Minerva McGonagall stated with assurance. "Ms. Tonks, due to the recent discoveries, regarding House Le Fay and our dear Rose, we believe that it is imperative that you tell us all that you know about Harry."

"Why? He is dead, died in Azkaban." Nymphadora stated confidently. "If you don't believe me, you can check my memories, since I was there when his death was confirmed. Hell, I saw his body, and even today, just a memory of it gives me nightmares. And what is that got you so worries about Rose? Afraid she might spill out some more bad stuff, regarding her 'dear and loving' parents?" Nym glanced at glaring Lily and James, who were barely containing themselves.

"Nym, we are simply worried about the poor girl, that's all." Professor Pomona Sprout spoke up, getting the attention of her former Hufflepuff student. "I am personally afraid that she might be in danger. House of Black has a very dark and sinister reputation, not to mention how this Prince Le Fay had convinced Rose to state false facts about Potters. I am worried that one of my Hufflepuffs may be in mortal danger, or worse, possibly going to the Dark. Surely, as a fellow Hufflepuff, you can understand our worries for the girl."

"If that's what you claim, then why weren't you all that worried for Rose all these years, Professor? In fact, I seem to recall that, despite all that self-absorption and arrogance, Harry Potter had more of a care for first-year Hufflepuff students than you did." Nym crossed her arms on her chest, catching a glance of an insulted Head of the House, before turning to Minerva. "Yeah, it's true that Harry and I were close, more than he was with his parents, and don't even try to deny it. And I knew him well enough to know that he didn't open up that Chamber and let the Basilisk out to roam free. For all his faults and grievances, most of which were justified, he wasn't a cold-blooded murderer, nor was he a crazed megalomaniac like you all call him. He was simply a bitter man, trying to take care of himself and his sister, along with caring for those that were abused, much like he was in the past. Most prominently by Gryffindor and Slytherin, his very own House that preaches camaraderie within itself." She got a glare from Snape for that one.

"And that is why we ask you to tell us more about him, Nymphadora." Dumbledore spoke again. "Like you have told us, Harry had cared for dear Rose, and that is true. And now that same dear Rose Potter is now an adopted sister in magic and blood to Henry Le Fay, Prince Le Fay and someone of whom we know nothing. Tell us, Nymphadora, did Harry ever mention having met him, or that he was interested in House Le Fay and its history?"

"No, he made no mention of it, and I know for sure that the only Houses in whose history he was interested were Houses Potter, Black and Peverell." Nym replied. "As for Prince Le Fay, like I've said before, only Arcturus and possibly Cassiopeia know his full history. All I know that he is related to House Black in some form, having blood relations with it, and that Rose trusts him with her life, which is enough for me to understand that she is in good hands." Nym stated with steel.

"The girl is only 13 years old, and she was never even clever enough to know to which House she should've gone to." James scoffed out at his daughter. "If she was dumb enough to trust Harry, than she would've trusted everyone who as much as have smiled to her."

"She is 15, actually. It speaks volumes when a parent forgets how old his child is." Nym said out loud. "And as for being dumb and trusting Harry, she simply had no one else to turn to in most of her life, not when her own parents treat her like she isn't even there most of the time."

"Watch what you are saying, girl." Lily glared at Nymphadora, who didn't even flinch.

"Trying to shut up me now? Well, guess what? I'm through keeping my mouth shut about you Potters and your merry band of friends treating Harry and Rose like they were just piles of bollocks, when compared to William." Nym stated angrily to Lily. "I know for the fact that when she was less than a year old, she was cared by only House Elves and Harry, with the formers only doing the bare minimum, while her parents were far too busy giving out exclusive interviews, or pampering the so-called Savior of the Wizarding World. Harry told me _everything _about those times, along with telling me that whenever he remembered them, cries of Rose were the first things that came to his mind, a sense of calming and caring for her came in first. But that wasn't an instinct, not at first. That instinct, the instinct to protect Rose, only came later when he realized that if he were to abandon Rose just like you two did, he'd be even worse than all of you combined."

"What do you mean by that, Ms. Tonks?" Professor Flitwick asked of Nymphadora.

"The first couple months after the deaths of Charlus and Dorea were very hard for Harry, because those two were his real parents, and in one fell swoop, he had lost them, his 'real' parents were now running the show, and he along with Rose was a bother to even notice." Nym began to tell the tale, despite getting glares from James, Lily, Sirius and Remus. "He may've been small, but he was old enough to understand when he wasn't wanted, and seeing how his younger brother was pampered and treated like he was the second coming of Merlin… It made him bitter and very resentful of both William and the people that produced him, but he had no way of letting out that anger of his in which he would hurt William, which he wanted to. Instead, he found a substitute." Nym grimly stated.

"Rose was closer in age to William, and even though she was just as ignored as Harry, he didn't understand that part. So, as a way to vent out his rage, he had shouted at her, said how she wasn't all that great and how she wasn't even his sister, and that it was her, William's and Potters' fault that his real parents were dead. Harry told me that at the time, he had hated Rose simply because he could, even if later, as he had admitted to him, it made him sick as hell. That continued for some time, until one particular night, when Harry, who shared a room with Rose, hadn't noticed something really strange: Rose was quiet, too quiet. He was used to Rose crying all the time, and even when she wasn't, she would whimper and still make noise. So, when she didn't make any, he had come up to her crib and looked at her small body. When he saw that she was barely even breathing, and that she was sweating like after a marathon in a desert, that's when it had hit him that she was ill."

"He didn't know whom to call, considering that his parents didn't even notice him most of the time, and House Elves didn't come out on his command either. So instead, he took Rose out of her crib into his arms and held her close to himself, trying to at least keep her warm. He tried to wake her up through either shouting, or telling her stories, desperately trying anything. As Harry had told me, it was the worst night of his life, and the thing that stuck to him since then was fear, fear of losing Rose because he was such an arse to her." Nym told them all. "For the whole night, he stayed with Rose, and when it was morning, Rose was alright, fewer gone and she was okay, with Harry holding her close, asking for forgiveness for all he told her. After that, as he had told me, he had made an oath to himself, that no matter what it takes, he will keep Rose safe, even if would cost him his life. Rose knows about the vow, and she knew about what had happened between her and Harry when she was a toddler, and let me tell you what she had told me. She told me, that Harry could rest easy, knowing that she was Henry, treated in much the same manner as Harry treated her."

"Ms. Tonks, while your little fictional drama is touching to heart, there is the matter of Rose being in a not very trustworthy company." Dumbledore dismissed her story without a second of thought. "We are trying to determine, why would young Rose would trust Prince Le Fay, and if it is possible for Harry to have known him before. Because if he did, it may bear explain to us why Rose trusts him so much, and he may also be involved in schemes of Harry concerning that tragic business with Chamber of Secrets."

"Harry. Didn't. Open. That. Damn. Chamber." Nymphadora slowly and forcefully stated to everyone, before turning an irate eye towards Dumbledore. "And we all know that he didn't, Professor, even if you state it so many times. And while we are on the matter, what the hell is _your_ deal with Harry, Professor? I remember him being shunned by all, especially the teachers, and most of all, you personally, and all because you were stating that he was going Dark. Care to explain why you thought so?"

"I don't see how this could be of any importance to our matter at hand, Nymphadora." Dumbledore stated to her.

"Oh no, it is _very_ important, Professor. We all know that you like to give us not full truth and half-lies, we can live with that, but there is a limit to BS one can take. So, why don't you be truthful for once, and I'll tell you everything I know about Harry in return." Nymphadora looked at him with a judging look, with Dumbledore letting out a sigh and seemingly relenting.

"As you all are aware, I have been a Professor in Hogwarts for many years, and I have witnessed many great Light and Dark Wizards come and leave the walls of this school. And, without a doubt, the most powerful and with the greatest potential of all to come and leave this place was Tom Riddle, one who would later become known as our greatest enemy, Voldemort." Dumbledore spoke up, with some of the members shivering at the mention of the man. "Tom was a truly brilliant Wizard, the brightest of his generation and capable of getting with he had wanted. He could easily charm people to do his bidding, easily able to make others see things from his point of view, and could project an image that he wanted others to see what he had wanted them to see. Couple that with his incredible talents in magic and Dark Arts, he was quite on the path to greatness. But, behind the façade of a brilliant and bright Wizard, there was darkness within him, a taint of sorts that had always gnawed at his soul, corrupted and changed him. He was incapable of true feelings, not capable of love and caring for others, even if he could imitate those feelings towards others. His inability to feel love, his hidden ambitions and his secretive nature… I was unable to see it all, and for that I will forever pay, and for all those poor and innocent victims of his Dark conquest."

"Don't know why you tell us all this little story, Headmaster, but if you are implying that Harry was just like Voldemort then you couldn't be further from the truth." Nymphadora told him. "He was cared and was loved, and he knew what it was to love and care. He had people that cared and loved him, and taught the meaning of those things."

"Did they, or did he simply make it seem like so?" Dumbledore asked of Nym, who glared a little at him. "My dear Nymphadora, at first glance, I didn't have it in me to believe that there could be another one like Tom, but the more and more I watched Harry, I couldn't help myself but come in terms with the fact that he was just like Tom in his youth: brilliant, lonely, infinitely talented and with limitless potential, yet with darkness inside… His attitude towards others may've seemed different, but deep inside I could easily tell that he was much like Voldemort."

"That is the most bollocks thing I've ever heard in my life." Nymphadora stated without any regard for her words. "Darkness inside? He was bloody neglected by his progenitors and by most of their friends, so no wonder if he had more than one chip of his shoulder, or that he wasn't all shouting and singing about Light, unity, friendship and ponies. You want proof that they were different? How about the fact that he stood up for Muggleborns in Hogwarts, and pretty much everyone that was abused here? Why would the next Dark Lord in the making mingle with what is de-facto the lowest level of our society, and not make friends with children from most prominent and powerful families? The answer is that he despised them for treating Muggleborns and others like shit, just like with him. So I am sorry, Professor, but your logic doesn't add up there. And let's not forget the fact that Voldemort had killed closest to him people, so if anything, he had more than enough reason to hate Voldemort's guts."

"He and Tom may've not shared common ground on their ideas and views, but that doesn't mean that their purposes could've been the same." Dumbledore countered. "Much like Tom, Harry knew how to easily gain interest and loyalty of those that were interesting to him. He may've sought out the loyalty of Muggleborns, to gain them as his future army and weapons against us. Dear Nymphadora, it is most possible that he had played you and Rose like a flute…"

"Okay, I am done with this bullshit. I am out." Nymphadora turned around and was on her way toward the Floo Portal, until Charlie and Sirius hadn't blocked her path. "Move it, I'm not staying another minute in here."

"Sorry, Nym, but you ain't going until you explain us everything we want to know. Including your work for Bones on spying on the Order, alongside Kingsley." Sirius revealed to Nym, whose eyes went wide with shock.

Without a second thought, her instincts and skills have kicked in, as she punched Sirius in his face, before she kicked Charlie in the stomach, trying to free up her escape route. However, just as she was near the portal, the fireplace closed up via a barrier, indicating that they weren't going to let her go that easily, nor were they going to let her go at all. Nym understood that this was a set up from the start, meant to get her and without Kingsley here to help her out. And she had walked in on this out of her own free will, something that she was cursing herself for already. However, she would have to wait with self-loathing and berating, as she had more important matters at hand, like getting the hell out of here.

Without missing a beat, she drew out her wand and turned around, already sending a stunning charm at Lily, disposing of her easily, followed by a disarming spell against James, sending him flying. She flared up her _Protego_ charm, blocking spells being sent against her, while she made her way towards the window in the tower. This was a bit of a gamble, but she was quite out of any other options, and if she was cleared out of the room, she would be able to use the emergency portkey that Harry had given her.

She was just a step away from the window, preparing to blast it open… When she suddenly felt like something had detached from her and that she no longer could feel her wand. Glancing down on her right hand, she saw it… lying on the floor with her wand, with blood dripping out of her freshly severed arm. The excruciating pain rushed right to her brain, forcing Nymphadora scream out, until she was tied up via spells in place. In the next second, Severus Snape, the man that had relieved her of her hand, had used a charm to stop the bleeding and numbed the pain a little, all the while he was having one of the most sickening smiles imaginable on his face. Nym practically roared out, as she glared at the gathered up Order members, including those that she had knocked out, with Dumbledore speaking up.

"Ms. Tonks, I have had such great hopes for you. You can't imagine how disappointed I am with you, one of my promising and talented former students." Dumbledore shook his head disappointingly. "I wish I could've offered you a chance to repent and do the right thing, but after this display of blatant brutality, I am afraid that you leave us with no alternative."

"I wasn't the one severing limbs through Dark Arts, Professor." Nym hissed at him, her hair blood red, indicating rage. "Do you think that I'll tell you anything? Think again. The only thing you'll get for free is me telling who you really are: a bunch of self-righteous bastards that don't give a damn about anyone who isn't doing the bidding of your all-right and all-mighty Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Nymphadora, please, I beg you to stop with this and simply tell us what we want. We can understand that you were probably trying to do the right thing, and we understand that you were simply misguided by Amelia." Pomona spoke to her former student. "We can all still make this right, if you stop struggling and just tell us the truth about Prince Le Fay. We know that he is dear to your heart, and you have been seeing him for some time. Please, be a Hufflepuff and do the right thing."

"I am a Hufflepuff, and I am doing the right thing, Professor. It's you who had forgotten what the right thing is. And who the fuck did… Hestia!" She glared and roared at her best friend, who avoided looking her right in the eyes. "You damn skank, you've spied on me, didn't you?! Shit, you were probably the one who had informed them about me and Kingsley!"

"Tonks, I-I know how it looks like, but you have to understand, that Dumbledore and everyone are trying to do the right thing, and you with Kingsley working on Bones, not to mention your relations with Prince Le Fay…" Hestia didn't have a chance to finish up her sentence, as Nymphadora literally spit in her face. "Damn it, Nym! I was only trying to help you, you dumb shapeshifting dolt!"

"If you wanted to do the right thing and help me, you should've came clean to Amelia and not went on to steal her documents so openly." She hissed at her, before she turned to everyone else. "Let me guess, you've suspected me right after the Wizengamot, didn't you?"

"Of course we did. Did you really think that we would fully trust you after it were revealed that Le Fay was with Arcturus?" Sirius smugly smirked at her. "I knew that Andy and you, along with Ted, were in good graces of Arcturus, so it was obvious that you would know about Prince Le Fay. But who would've thought that the two of you would be so lovey-dovey with each other, even going to Paris for a few days."

Nymphadora practically growled at them, while internally she was practically punching herself in the gut. After the Wizengamot and settling business with Tracey, vassals and everything, Henry had offered her to spend a few days in France, just the two of them, without much care and things. Nym jumped at the opportunity, and with the blessing from Tracey, the two went on to Paris, practically without much of a cover, with Nym simply taking a sick leave. The time the two had spent there was wonderful for them, it was when they were together and have practically forgotten about everything, focusing only on each other. Nym was at her happiest with Harry there and that happiness had probably dulled up her instincts and training.

She should've known that there would be someone trailing Harry after his appearance and announcements, but she didn't expect that she would be the target of trailing. She didn't anticipate that her closest friend Hestia would sell her out just like that, even if she should've seen it coming. Tonks knew full well that Hestia, unlike her, was fully on board with Dumbledore and practically worshiped him, not to mention that it was thanks to him and his recommendations that Hestia had gotten a place in Aurors' Department. Naturally, Dumbledore would cash in on his investment, but she didn't expect him to use Hestia as a spy against Nymphadora, and now she was paying for it. At least, they weren't aware of the fact that Harry Potter and Henry Le Fay was one and the same person.

However, that still didn't change the fact that she was in very deep trouble, and even if she wasn't going to reveal anything to them, thanks to Cassiopeia's charms and mental work on Nym's mind, the Order was going to try to pry out of her as much as they could. She didn't hold any illusions on the methods that would be used to get what they wanted, and she was honestly scared for herself. She silently prayed that Harry and others would notice her being gone soon enough and start looking, and they had the means to track her down almost instantly. She only had to endure and wait.

She whipped away a stray lock of hair and glared at Dumbledore and everyone else, before the old Professor spoke up.

"Ms. Tonks, I urge you to please cooperate with us. Should you persist in this foolish endeavor of yours, we will be forced to employ less… civilized means." At the mention of that Snape practically glowed with elation. "It is not too late to do the truly right thing, for the Greater Good. Ms. Tonks, tell us everything that you know about Henry Le Fay and House of Black. What are his plans? Is he with Voldemort? Does he plan to take control of the Ministry?"

"I'll tell you what he plans to do, and what he'll do after he finds out that I'm busted and captured." Tonks let out a small smirk. "He'll flay you all alive, before dousing you in kerosene and lighting you up. Trust me, when it comes to dealing with those that threaten those he cares for, he is more dangerous and ruthless than both Voldemort and Grindelwald combined. So you'll hear piss from me."

"That is a shame. I am very disappointed with you, Nymphadora." Dumbledore whipped out his wand and stunned her, before turning to Severus. "Severus, it would seem you were correct, and your special skills are indeed needed here. Make haste, for I believe that Ms. Tonks was not exaggerating the punishment that Prince Le Fay may inflict on us were he to find out."

"I shall be most through and dedicated to it, Headmaster. I have _long _waited for an opportunity like this, to make this insolent shifting whore pay for all she had done." Severus smiled with his scarred face at the opportunity at hand. "However, there is a certain problem that must be addressed, as I am afraid that I won't be able to get everything out of her in the short amount of time we have, especially considering that as Lord Slytherin, Prince Le Fay will be able to pass through any and all Hogwarts barriers and find his lover. And we are all aware that this will be the place he will come looking first. I will require a place outside of his access to operate, one with good and powerful protections."

"Hm… James, your and Lily's Mansion is the most defended place that we have access to. Severus will interrogate Nymphadora in there, while the Order will make sure to buy as much time as possible. Molly, I am afraid that young William will have to spend a few days in the Burrow with your family. Please accommodate him, for his protection, in case something goes wrong." Dumbledore commanded, with James and Molly nodding.

"All right, but I'm not going to be staying with Scarface here alone with Lily." James smirked at glaring Snape.

"I am certain that Sirius, Remus and Hestia shall be more than enough to prove a challenge for even Prince Le Fay, were he to discover the location of Ms. Tonks." Dumbledore saw that the three nodded to him. "Excellent. Now, what of our dear friend Kingsley, Sirius?"

"Poor Shacks won't be joining us anymore after today. Who would've thought that the Floo Portal in Grimmauld Twelve would malfunction?" Sirius said with a smirk, before taking out a small red crystal out of his pouch. "Told Shacks that there was something important I wanted to talk about today in my place, and that he should come as soon as he was done with his thing in Ministry. Since the crystal is red instead of white, it means that he's taken the short way to my house."

"A shame that it had to be done, but for the Greater Good, sacrifices have to be made." Dumbledore said sorrowfully, before Pomona spoke up.

"Albus, this is going too far! We all agreed that we would only take them captive, interrogate them and wipe their memories, but doing something like that?!" Pomona said passionately. "Kingsley was just a good Auror doing his job, as is Nymphadora, even if they were doing it for someone not on our side. To kill him just because he was a spy… Couldn't he have been spared?"

"The guy knew far too much, Professor, and probably blabbed out to Amelia about most of it anyway. Keeping him alive any longer would've been only worse for us all. He was just like Peter." Sirius told her. "As for Nym, she's probably aware about far more stuff about Le Fay and Blacks than Kingsley was. She'll tell us all and after that…"

"And after that what? You'll kill her just like with Kingsley?" Flitwick asked of Sirius and Dumbledore. "Do you even hear yourself? We are acting just like Death Eaters, if not worse, and I can't believe that we are all simply so okay with it. Albus, there has to be an alternative to all of this madness, there has to be! I-I can't just stand here and watch as we descent down into the abyss like that!"

"Fillius, my dear old friend, I know how you feel and I understand you, but I am afraid that for the sake of the Greater Good of all Magical Britain and those that inhabit it, we are forced to put aside our ideals and do what needs to be done. In battle against evil, we must be firm in our readiness to battle it no matter what, even if it means using evil's methods agaisnt it." Dumbledore spoke to his old friend. "The same had to be done with Harry Potter, before he had turned agaisnt us all and joined the Dark Lord, as I have told you all."

"You don't know that, Albus! You couldn't know that he would've joined the Dark Lord, or that he would've stood agaisnt us and him!" Flitwick shouted at him. "No, instead you've simply told us what _could_ happen, not what _will_ happen, and you've had sent to Azkaban after dealing with The Basilisk. Admit it, Albus, you were simply far too afraid of Harry and you didn't consider that if we were to be more attentive to him and Rose, he could've been made into our most valuable ally. Hell, he had battled Voldemort _twice_, and won both times! For all we know, we may've killed our _true _Boy Who Lived!"

"Are you daft, you short stacking halfwit?! William is The _True_ Boy Who Lived, no matter what that damned Prince Le Fay may tell to everyone!" James shouted at Flitwick. "Harry was going Dark. He was already Dark when we captured him. The only way he could've defeated Voldemort is by being Dark, and he was made Dark by my mother, the Black Witch, who refused to even acknowledge Lily as my wife! She was the one who took Harry away from us and corrupted him!"

"Because Dorea had cared for you and she believed Lily to be after Potter's fortune and not your love! And the only reason why she took Harry away from you and Lily is because you two were still students and didn't even want him to begin with, so don't give me this nonsense!" Flitwick shouted back at James. "The only reason Harry Potter was even allowed to be born was because Dorea and Charlus had put pressure on both of you, threatening to cut you from Fleamont's fortune and inheritance. Same was with William and Rose. You didn't even care for them, not until Voldemort had killed Charlus and Dorea. You don't care about your children, you only care about money and power that they bring you!"

"Why you little…" James was ready to whip out his wand at Fillius, before Minerva spoke up.

"That is quite enough, both of you!" Deputy Headmistress raised her voice to make sure that he point was sound and heard across the room. "We all know that there were some complications in House of Potter, concerning Harry Potter, Fillius, but it was nothing as you describe. James may have his flaws, but…"

"Minerva, I _know_ that it was as I've described, or have you forgotten that I had been one of the closest friends to Charlus Potter and an often guest in his house, just as you were once a friend to Dorea?" Flitwick stated to her with anger in his eyes. "You may've chosen to believe in lies and close your eyes to all the bad things happening around you, but I didn't forget! Nor have I forgotten the fury of Charlus when he spoke about how James so easily let go of his own children and cared naught for them, nor will I ever forget him smiling and laughing while playing with his grandson." Flitwick told her openly, before shaking his head. "He and Dorea had given their lives for their grandchildren, and we sent one to Azkaban, the other is an arrogant mediocre half-wit, and the last has abandoned name Potter just to safe herself… If either of them were alive, they'd burn us all for what we have done to them. And I can't believe that I have been a part of it all." Flitwick apparated out of the cabinet without saying another word.

"He is no longer in Hogwarts…" Dumbledore muttered out loud. "Minerva, please track down Fillius and make sure that he makes no rush and foolish mistakes. The stresses of this day have had a poor effect on him. Now, I believe we still have matters to discuss…"

* * *

**Potter's Mansion. Two hours later.**

James's form threaded through the dark corridors of his mansion's deepest dungeons, lower than even ones that are known to even Lily and his current guests. He was in a hurry to join his oldest friends, in a hurry to put into motion a plan that was fully guaranteed to deal with his plans. He was in a great hurry to deal with the person that has had the gall and dared to shame him and his House out in the public. James Potter was in the hurry to destroy House Le Fay and Henry Le Fay, along with Rose and everyone involved with them. No one dared to shame him and was allowed to walk away unscathed, and Prince Le Fay was going to pay for the humiliation he had brought upon James and his family.

Before that damned Wizengamot session, House of Potter was the most powerful, most famous and most revered House in the Wizarding World, all thanks to it being the reason of Voldemort's downfall. James and his wife with friends had bathed in attention, fame and glory, they were treated like royalty, all thanks to William being the Boy Who Lived and being his father was more than enough to warrant respect and power. To speak out against House Potter, to even to try to put any form of shame or dirt upon it, was akin to a political suicide and everyone knew of it.

That was so until House Le Fay had made the appearance and Rose had suddenly reappeared, revealing to the world a part of how she was treated in the House Potter and proclaiming that Harry was innocent and sent to Azkaban due to schemes of James and Dumbledore. The news of it, as well as the oath made on magic was more than enough to shatter the greatness and power of House of Potter in front of everyone. At first, James had believed that the damage would be remedied within a few days, but he was wrong, as within days, he and Lily found themselves politically and socially isolated. If before there would be no shortage of invitations to dinner, tea or saloons, then after the Wizengamot, all that House of Potter had received afterwards were the declines to previously agreed affairs and meetings, as well as official cutting of political ties.

James and Lily, along with William, had become pariahs of Wizarding World, shunned by all and unwanted by anyone, even by many of their former friends. This was something that James couldn't allow to go unpunished, not after he had spent most of his trying to get what he believed was rightfully his. James had always been ambitious, always wanting to get more than what he had and what others believed was enough for him. He knew he was meant to have more, and he did everything to get it, going quite far to get what he wanted and not feeling guilty or bad for what he had done.

Why should he feel bad for organizing deaths of his parents and Gabriel, who stood in his way to getting everything he wanted? They always looked down on him like he was less than significant enough in their eyes, not worthy of being allowed to inherit the Potter name. Instead he was relegated to the name of _Fleamont_, an unknown, minor and forgotten name. This was something that James wanted nothing to do with, and so instead, he had done everything to get what he believed was rightfully his, even selling out his parents to Voldemort. Mother and Father may've loved him, but they shouldn't have cut him away from Potter's name and inheritance in favor of that righteous ponce Michael…

Shacking away the thoughts about what he had done, James focused up at what was truly important, and that was making sure that House Le Fay was destroyed and never rose again. His most trusted friends were with him in his plan to destroy it, and this was truly his greatest plan ever. The solution to his problems had come from James discovering an ancient and dark secret of his House, something that was hidden away from all for almost 900 years by his ancestors, when they had defeated the original House Le Fay. And now, this very secret will be used to destroy the modern House Le Fay and will pave the way for the return and rise to the higher fame and glory for James and House of Potter.

Once he had reached the deepest cavern of the dungeon, lit by torches, he stood near his friends, Sirius and Remus, looking at the stone pedestal, surrounded by a stasis field, holding in one place the solution to his entire problem. Smirking, he turned to Sirius and spoke up.

"So, are we all up for it? Good, we can begin now, assuming that you've learned the incantations and remember the plan, right?" James laughed a little, with Sirius supporting him, while Remus spoke up.

"Prongs, are you sure that this will work? This plan of yours, it's pretty risky, not to mention that if we were to release her out of this hold…" Remus shook his head. "There has to be a reason why your ancestors had put her in this stasis and not killed her. If we unleash her, and even if she makes sure that Henry and Rose are dead, what's to stop her from coming after us once she realizes that we've fooled her? Hell, what's to stop the Devil in service of House Le Fay from destroying us all after it completes the mission?"

"Remus, we've planned it all and we've discussed it all, so stop worrying so much, Looney." James had assured him. "Look, once perform the ritual Sirius had told us about, we'll essentially have her right under our thumb and ready to do _all _our bidding. That's the same ritual that had made Bellatrix a slave to Voldemort, and if you remember that prideful prick tease before the ritual, then you know that it will work."

"Yeah it will." Sirius assured them. "I was sure to properly memorize all the incantations and movements of wands, and I've already transferred it through Leggimence, so we'll be able to make it properly. After the ritual is complete, the strongest Witch of this age will make a short work of Le Fays and we'll be safe and sound."

"And after she transfers all the treasures and lands to House Potter, we'll make do with her." James smirked. "There's no chance that Le Fay will be able to defeat her, not with her ancestry and considering who her mother was, according to what my ancestors have written. This is going to a catastrophe for House Le Fay." He smiled at the thought of it all. "Now, let's get started before Lily wakes up from that small potion I gave her and starts to look for us. We should have plenty of time"

* * *

**August the 13****th****. Albion's Hearth**

Henry was pacing in his private study, waiting for Regulus to arrive with the news he was awaiting. To say that Prince Le Fay was worried would be a massive underestimation, as he was internally panicking. It wasn't a feeling he wasn't used to, but it was one that he didn't like to have gnawing at his soul and heart, but it would seem that there was no helping it now. And he had all the reasons to be worried at the moment.

Nymphadora had suddenly disappeared after her and Bellatrix's trip to see Cornelia, as she hasn't appeared in Albion's Hearth afterwards. At first, Henry thought that she was simply visiting her parent with Bellatrix after the meeting and forgot to mention it to him, but as Ted and Andromeda had stated, they didn't have her. That was enough for Harry to get worried, so he had sent word to Regulus to start looking for her and to ask Bones if she knew where Nymphadora could be. That was before Bellatrix had informed him that Nym was suddenly called to Dumbledore for something important.

That single piece of information was enough for Harry to put practically all the pieces together, and enough of a reason to tell Cassiopeia to start a locating ritual for Nym. Just as he was passing the fireplace for the hundredth time, it lit up and Regulus exited from it, dusting himself off quickly. Without allowing Henry to talk, he spoke up.

"Amelia doesn't know where Nym is, nor do her friends working there, but that's not all." He took a breath, clearly having been in a hurry. "Bones told me that she couldn't reach not only Nym, but also Hestia Jones and Kingsley Shacklebolt. Don't know about the former, but I've managed to track Kingsley down, but… It's safe to assume that the Order has discovered who their moles are."

"What did you find out?" Henry asked of him, already formulating a plan of his own.

"I've checked the list of Floo transportation out of Ministry's atrium, and found out that Kingsley used one to get to Grimmauld Twelve." Regulus spoke up. "I went there, but there was no sign of him, until I called Kreacher and had him tell me if Kingsley was there. He told me he wasn't, but he also told that Sirius had sabotaged the Floo place, and that he had sabotaged it purposefully. He even knocked Kreacher out when Elf saw him at work. And since Kingsley had used the Floo to travel to Grimmauld…"

"He was destroyed on a molecular level during transit. Fuck!" Henry cursed out loud, his magic also lashing out. "Bellatrix told me that Nym was suddenly called up by Dumbledore during their stay with Cornelia. They've planned to take them out at the same time, those goddamned sons of whoring bitches!"

"Hold on, it's quite possible that Nym is still alive. If she was dead, Arcturus would know about it within minutes and inform us, and so far he hasn't, since she is still on the family tree, and I saw her clear as day in Grimmauld while I was there." Regulus told Harry, who nodded to him. "What's the plan of action?"

"I've had Cassie start a ritual to find Nym. She should be done with it in an hour. Until then, you go to Amelia, inform her about all that has happened and make sure to give me a green light on whatever I'm about to do." Harry told Regulus, who nodded. "I'll call up my vassals and start mobilizing. If Nym's in Hogwarts, we'll… Do you feel that?" Both Regulus and Harry had suddenly sensed an immense shift in the magical energies, signaling that a source of tremendous power had appeared not far from them.

Before Regulus could speak up, the castle itself shook, nearly knocking the two grown men off their feet, while books from the bookshelves en mass. Having managed to stabilize themselves, Harry had only pure seconds to put up his most powerful barrier to shield himself and Regulus from a powerful blast of magical lighting coming down on them both from above. The red bright lighting practically burned its path through the roof and would've been enough to destroy them both, had Henry's training with Irene not kicked in. Dissipating the lighting, Harry put the barrier down and looked at Regulus, who spoke up.

"What the hell was that? I thought you told me that the castle and it's grounds are protected better than even Hogwarts." Regulus remarked, with Harry nodding to him.

"It's true, and the only way someone could've gone past the barriers and wards without me and Irene knowing would be through having Le Fay blood in their veins and being a member of my family." Harry told Regulus. "Go and find Rose, see to her safety. Cassie should be safe in her own lab. I'll go and take care of whoever wants to die today." Without wasting a second, Harry disappears from the study.

The very next second, Harry appeared right outside of the main gates into the Albion's Hearth's grounds. There on the open field, he saw the person that has dared to trespass and attack him in such a manner, only the sight of her had forced him to freeze up instantly from shock. It was a young woman, close to his own age, with flowing crimson like blood hair, a beautifully shaped face and turquoise colored eyes, which glowed in crimson red. She was dressed in red and golden robes, showing her beautiful figure and curves that could drive any young man mad with lust if uncovered.

The intruder looked strikingly similar to Irene herself, only younger and dressed in red and golden, but her power... Harry could feel the familiar sense of pressure put on his shoulders as he watched as the crimson energy danced in her hands. Even if her power wasn't close to Irene's, it was still more than enough to make him wish he had a bit of Demonic essence in him. The young woman looked at him with intense hatred and spoke up.

"So, you have gotten my message, usurper?" She asked of him. "I thought that you would look more impressive, for someone who has been able to usurp my birthright and House through deceit and dark magic."

"Lady, I don't bloody well know who you are, but let me tell you, that you've just attacked House Le Fay and as its Prince and Head, I'll have your head for this." Harry told her, while she laughed at him. "What's so funny?"

"You, who else?" She replied arrogantly to him." Head of House Le Fay and Prince, you?! Cur, how dare you to claim those titles for yourself?! For stealing my House and my rightful title, I shall have your head! Know that I, Rias Le Fay, daughter of Artorius Le Fay and Irene Belserion, rightful Head and Princess of House Le Fay have come to reclaim her rightful place and to destroy those that have dared to take from me!" Magical energy surged out of her, making the ground shake again at the sheer might of her.

And at that moment Henry had legitimately felt genuine and unfathomable fear for his life, as well as the desire to call upon Irene.

Which he mentally did the very next second…

* * *

**Ugh, sorry that this is kinda of a short chapter when compared to others, but I'm running a nasty cold and my brain is suffering from headaches, so this is about all I can manage for now. I'll make sure to make a full sized 10k chap next, if I'll be in better shape.**

**Now, as for the elephant revealed just now, this is my story and I've decided to go there, so deal with it. Sorry if this is a bit rude, but I'm really feeling like shit right now, and I'm suffering from a lack of original ideas as a consequence.**

**So, SlashFan, my old colleague and hopefully friend, do take into the account, that this particularly poorly written move, especially when compared to my other twists, is done in a state when my brain suffers a metaphorical nuclear winter. Take that as an excuse, but I'm really not feeling all that well to even care. Other than that, glad to have you to review me, and I am glad that you all contribute your opinions to me. If you have a suggestion, question, or simply want to leave a review, do please be my guests.**

**Next time: House Le Fay Civil War…**


	16. Chapter 16

Henry's wand swiftly made an intricate pattern in the air, projecting a _Protego Diabolica_ around his himself, with dark flames destroying the wave of dark crimson magical energy that Rias had sent agaisnt him. He let himself a quick breath of air, while he mentally called upon Irene for the fourth time. And just like three times before, she didn't respond to his summon, making him groan and mentally curse her very name and existence in hearts. She was supposed to be the main protector of House Le Fay, and now the very House she was supposed to be protecting was in danger of being destroyed. And she wasn't here to protect it!

Less than half a minute after her initial attack failed, Rias' magic flowed out of her hand once more. The dark flames once more met with Rias' magic, but this time, Henry's most powerful shield had cracked under the sheer might of half-Devil Le Fay. Crimson energy rushed towards him, and had Henry's instincts not been honed through training with Irene prior, he wouldn't have been able to apparate out of the spot, before it got demolished by the destructive magic. Rias' eyes widened slightly when she saw that she hit nothing but dirt and ground, before she started to look for her prey.

"_Fulgur Maxima!"_ Rias' ears heard a shout from behind her, followed the very next second by an immensely powerful blue lightning striking her.

Henry channeled his magical power through his wand, sending one his most powerful spells at Rias. He had wished that the Le Fay witch would fall from this attack, but he was wrong, as he saw a familiar crimson aura surround her form and protect her. He saw that she was channeling most of her power into the defense, and that Henry was actually straining her with his attack. Knowing that his own magical reserves may not be enough, Prince Le Fay called upon the magic of his land, letting it flow through his form and empower him. With a roar, he unleashed that stored up energy at Rias, enhancing his lightning and breaking her barrier. Her body was struck the next second, sending her flying away from him and into the ground.

Breaking off his magical spell, Henry nearly stumbled back, but had managed to stabilize him from falling down. Casting a quick glance at the lying form of Rias, he saw that she had lost conciseness, but wasn't too hurt, with only a few slight burns and burnt up clothing on her. Her barrier had managed to withstand the majority of power, and so it had saved her life, as she was only hit by minimal power from his _Fulgur Maxima_. Still, at least he had managed to knock her out, giving him the needed opportunity to collect his thoughts and take a breather.

Henry's mind immediately began to analyze what Rias had told him earlier, trying to figure out how was she here. She had claimed to be the daughter of Artorius Le Fay and Irene, with former being his predecessor as Prince Le Fay, according to the records of Le Fay House. Those same records did state that Artorius was married to a member of House Ravenclaw and had children with her, but all of them were killed, and there were no records about Rias and Irene being a wife of Artorius. That could mean that either record were tempered with, possibly by Irene herself, or that it wasn't common knowledge of Irene and Artorius' relationship, and that Rias was born out of wedlock and officially made Le Fay later.

Either way, Henry was completely certain that Rias had the magic of House Le Fay in her, as well as demonic powers of her mother, Irene Belserion. Thanks to a special training room, inside which time ran slower than in real life, Henry had the opportunity to train with Irene, to get more powerful and practice new and powerful ways of magic, and through those training sessions, he had memorized the magical signature of Irene. That same signature was present on Rias, which did confirm to Henry that Rias was indeed daughter of Irene. However there was still the elephant in the room that required solving:

How the hell was she alive, if she was supposed to have died ages ago?

Wiping off himself sweat, Harry spoke out loud.

"Irene, I don't know what you are doing, but if you don't get your demonic behind here the next second, I swear to God, I'll kill your daughter through _Crucio _right now!" Henry decided to play this card, and it worked, as Irene immediately appeared in front of him, obstructing his view from Rias.

"Milord, please, don't…" For the first time, Henry could hear genuine pleas and concern in Irene's voice, before he interrupted.

"I'm not into torturing people, and you know it well, but that doesn't excuse you not coming here earlier." Harry stated to her, with her looking truly ashamed. "Now, do you mind explaining to me, how is that the very day I find out that one of my loves is kidnapped, your _daughter_ comes here, practically from the Dark Ages, and attacks me, rightful Prince Le Fay?!"

"I…I have no idea, milord. I was certain that my daughter had died in an ambush, set by House Le Fay's enemies, with no traces of her left." Irene told him genuinely, before turning to face her. "But… It is her. She looks j-just the same as I remember her, not a day older. It isn't some kind of Necromancy, or a trick like with Pollyjuice Potion, no… It really is my Rias, my daughter…"

"I've figured that one out, but why didn't you stop her when she attacked me? And don't give me the mother's excuse. You could've stopped either of us without harming us." Harry pointed out to her, with Irene sighing.

"The binding contract I have formed with Morgana ensures that I never turn my magic against any member of House Le Fay, and even if I did, I would simply reverse the magic done on you the very next moment, like I did with you in our first meeting." Irene informed Harry. "In essence, I can't use magic of any kind of offence, be it harmful or not. This prerogative is just as powerful as is my main duty to protect House Le Fay from destruction, a duty in which I had failed once." She looked sorrowfully at her daughter, who was starting to stir up and regain light in the eyes.

"Is there _any _way to work around that little prerogative?" Harry asked of her.

"The only way to do so would be to have Morgana Le Fay herself to change it, as she is the one who had made the contract with me, and therefore her word stands above anyone else's." Irene locked her eyes on her daughter starting to rise up from the ground. "Henry, please, I-I know that she wishes you harm, b-but please don't kill her. S-She is probably just confused and doesn't understand what is going in. Please, I beg you, let me reach out to her and speak with her."

"Do it then, and do it fast. I have far more important matters to attend to." Henry gave Irene the permission, to which she with a small smile nodded to him.

Rias rose up on her feet, magical energy exuding from her at an alarming rate, but it had calmed down a little, once she had laid her eyes upon Irene, who looked at her lovingly. Rias didn't return the notion though, instead quickly healing herself of any and all damage done to her, before she spoke up.

"Mother." She said in a cold, hostile voice, as she saw Irene standing between her and the pretender. "Why do you stand between me and the pretender? Do you not know that I am the rightful Princess Le Fay?"

"Rias, my little Angel… Please, I know that you are confused and angry, but things aren't how you may perceive them." Irene spoke in a loving tone, placating one, while Harry was trying to gather up his strength back. "Rias, it has been near 800 years since our time, and House Le Fay had ceased to exist after you disappeared. Even I thought you were gone, and so did family's magic. The House had only once more breathed alive when Morgana had chosen a new Prince, who now shares her and Arthur's blood. Please, my little Angel, stand down and let's…" But Irene wasn't allowed to speak any further, as Harry had pushed her away.

Irene may be a Devil, but she is also a mother, and parents often do not predict their children attacking them. Irene did the same, ignoring the gradual buildup of magical power coming from Rias, but Harry was prepared to respond to that one. Without any warning, he pushed Irene away from the incoming crimson red lightning, while simultaneously erecting a wall of earth in front of his form. The wall had stopped the attack from hitting him, but the resulting explosion saw Henry being sent flying backwards and landing upon his back. Groaning from pain, he looked up and saw Rias approach him with her arms already engulfed in a crimson energy. She raised her right hand and pointed at him, sending another bolt of energy at him.

However, instead of being disintegrated, Harry found himself being still alive, and that crimson energy had stopped in its tracks just a few centimeters away from his face. It was blocked by an invisible force, preventing it from striking Harry. After the energy faded away, Harry rose up, and saw that Irene now stood behind Rias, and that her right hand glowed with magic. Apparently, while Irene wasn't able to directly hurt members of House Le Fay through her magic, she was still very much capable of using it to protect them, just like she did just now with Harry. Rias also understood that her mother had just shielded her pretender, as she turned towards her and spoke up in an uncaring way.

"You are sworn to serve House Le Fay and its Ruler, yet when you see the true Princess, you choose to side with the false usurper?" Rias said with poison in her words. "For such a betrayal of House Le Fay, as well as your Princess, you shall pay dearly. I will make sure that you die alongside this usurper."

"Rias, listen to what you are saying right now! You of all people should know that I can never betray House Le Fay, even if I had desired to do so, and I would never betray you, my daughter!" She shouted at her. "Please, Rias, I beg of you to stand down and let me explain everything to you."

"I don't care what you have to say." Rias replied to her with anger. "You stand between me and that usurper. If that is so, then you shall die!" She charged up her magic once more and was ready to strike at Irene, before she was hit by a low powered _Stupefy_, making her growl. "You must be seeking death, if you think that such pitiful spell will even tickle me."

"No, but it did get your attention." Harry simply stated to her. "Look, Princess, I don't know what is going on with you, but do you really want to kill me _this _badly, that you would even attack your own mother? I don't know what's happened between you, but she's trying to help you here. She, as well as the rest of the world, believed you were dead, as did the magic, and so when I came, I was able to revive House Le Fay and it's magic. Like it or not, but I am no pretender, but a chosen of Morgana herself and Prince Le Fay."

"Chosen of Morgana or not, I do not care for who you are. You are a pretender and a usurper, and you will die for stealing what is mine!" She screamed in an almost mad manner at him, before charging up and sending her magic at them both.

"What in Morgana's…" Harry muttered to himself, while dodging magical bolts through apparition, until it suddenly had hit him. "Irene, try and read her mind! Make sure to look for the traces of magical rituals on her!" Harry casted silently several _Expeliarmus _at Rias, trying to get her attention, in which he succeeded.

As much as it may've seemed vile and bad to Irene, to probe and look into her own daughter's mind, she had no choice but to agree and obey the command. While she may've been bound not to use magic offensively in harm against members of House Le Fay, her magical telepathy wasn't a harmful one, as opposed to human Leggimence. Using the window of opportunity that Harry had provided to her, she entered her daughter's mind, trying to find out what was wrong with Rias.

She had raised and loved Rias, as any mother, human or demonic, would. She knew her little girl best, and this blatant aggression, this obsessive behavior and refusal to even listen to her… This was not Rias, not the daughter she birthed and groomed into a symbol of House Le Fay and into the future ruler of it. Rias was intelligent, compassionate, kind and even compromising when needed, but she could also be ruthless and decisive when required. She wasn't confrontational for sake of conflict, but she wasn't one to simply lie down and do nothing while her holdings were invaded. No, she was a leader and the queen, raised and groomed. She was not a single-minded beast like this thing that Irene saw before herself. Her heart trembled at the thought of something having been done to her daughter, while her blood was boiling at the thought of it.

It took her less than a second to discover that her child was indeed unwell. In fact, she was not even in the full control of her body and mind, as her true self was sealed away, while an installed new person, formed from Rias herself, was acting like this. Infuriated and relieved at the same time, Irene instantly recognized the handiwork of House Black with their dark control ritual, same one that had perverted Bellatrix's persona and turned her into a beast in service of Voldemort. And now, someone had used the very same ritual on her daughter, and she was able to easily see who it was.

"_Milord, Rias isn't in full control of herself. She has been subjected to the same ritual as Bellatrix, performed by Sirius Black, your progenitor and Remus Lupin. It was their desire to see you and Rose destroyed by Rias' hand, before she would sign all of Le Fay's property to Potter, and let her be killed by them." _Irene established a link with Henry and informed him of the situation at hand._ "Milord, I can't break the ritual's magic without hurting her, and I can't stop her. I am truly sorry, Harry."_

"_Damn it… Alright, Irene, you are to go and get me Skadhi, Neriada and the strongest mages from both Elven people, and do it fast. I'll hold her off as long as I can." _Harry informed her, barely blocking another blast from Rias, before Irene had put up a barrier around Harry and refused to leave.

"_I am sorry, but I can't leave you alone as well. Protection of House Le Fay comes before everything, including the direct orders of Prince Le Fay, and you are in clear danger, milord."_ Irene informed him, with Rias turning to her.

"I have had enough of your meddling. Mother or not, any who stand in my way, shall for if they obstruct my way to power!" Rias began to charge up her magical power, drawing all she could from herself to strike Irene…

…Until she was sent flying into the dirt by a powerful blue magical pulse. Both Irene and Harry turned their eyes towards the source of that attack, and both had widened them at the sight walking towards them. It was clearly Rose, of all people, walking towards them, only she looked quite different from before. Her red long hair had changed to golden locks, supplemented by blue eyes, instead of her green ones. Her form was surrounded by blue magical aura, quite similar to the one utilized by Rias, but even more powerful and pressuring. The sheer might emitted by Rose at that moment made even Irene sweat a little. Harry had sensed out Rose's magic, and widened his eyes once more, as he recognized Rose's power being not her own.

Instead, he felt the power of Morgana Le Fay herself.

Rose stepped closed to the two of them, before stopping and looking first at Rias and then at her brother, before she spoke in a voice that combined both her own and Morgana's.

"Members of my House, actively trying to kill each other for power. This was most certainly not the sight I wish to see, when my daughter and your Heiress had summoned me back into the world of living, Henry." Rose-Morgana spoke at the same time to him, chiding tone clear in the combined voice.

"Morgana? Y-you… How are you…" Harry tried to ask of her, but failed, when she raised her hand to him and spoke up.

"Your sister had felt that you were in clear danger, and that my servant refused to follow her commands." Rose-Morgana looked at Irene accusingly, who only could look down in shame, before possessed body of Rose looked back at Rias. "Feeling that the fate of House Le Fay was at stake, she used my sphere and summoned my spirit into her body. And seeing what you face here, I commend her decisiveness and readiness to put herself in harm's way to save our House. Now, Irene, share with me all that is happening and details, surrounding her?" Rose-Morgana pointed towards Rias, with Irene obeying.

"Yes, my Queen." Irene transferred to her liege all the information through telepathy, with Morgana immediately processing it and speaking up.

"Ah, so my grandson has managed to produce a child with you? I was hoping that Morgraine would be able to do it first, but never the less…" She turned towards the rising form of Rias, who spoke up.

"Another pretender? Whatever, I shall just destroy you alongside this usurper." Rias once more started to gain more power, before Morgana commanded Irene.

"Irene, restrain your daughter and nullify her magic." Irene obeyed, with magical chains sprouting out of the ground and binding Rias, cutting off her magical power. "I most certainly never wanted to have my House fall to infighting, like many had done before, but to find a member of my House, especially one as promising and powerful such as her to be doing another's bidding… This is certainly the greatest form of humiliation for my House, although it does explain how come House Potter is still alive."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked of her, with Rose-Morgana smiling to him.

"In an event that if House Le Fay were to be destroyed by our enemies, I had created a last order for Irene to carry out, one that she doesn't know a thing about." Morgana spoke up again. "It was to be carried out when the last member of House Le Fay had crossed the line between life and death. And that order was to annihilate all those that had opposed House Le Fay in some form and capacity, leave nothing behind, not even ashes. If my House were to die, so would the Houses that had opposed us, and there were many of them, with House of Potter being one of them. I was surprised that you were of Potters, true, but I didn't give it to much thought at the moment, as I was simply content that a worthy Heir was found. Now, however, I can understand why Irene didn't carry out my order."

"Rias wasn't dead…" Irene muttered out loud. "B-But I had gone to the place of an ambush and there was no sign of her being alive. I had even felt her fade out of life, my Queen! How can…"

"Quite easy, when one knows how to properly use Draught of the Living Death, a powerful stasis charm and has the information about the order I had made." Morgana easily answered. "Rias was defeated the members of House Potter, but not killed. Instead, they've doused her with the Draught and put her into a state between life and death, before closing her in a stasis field. Quite clever and devious I might add. Although, that does beg the question: how were they able to learn of my order?"

"We can find out about it later. Can you break the ritual put on her now?" Harry asked of Morgana.

"Irene can, and will do so immediately." Irene nodded quite eagerly and went to her daughter, leaving Henry and Rose-Morgana alone. "And in the meantime, there is a matter which you and I need to address, immediately. I have checked the memories of Rose, and while you have handled the restoration of my House's power quite adequately, I am, however, sorely disappointed in you."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Harry asked of her, annoyed. "I have restored House Le Fay in these lands. We already have vassals among Wizards and magical races that reside in these lands all have joined me, and I've already made successful moves against my enemies… Yet you say that you are disappointed with me?!"

"I am, and quite frankly, after reviewing your sister's memories, I question my decision of making you Prince Le Fay." Morgana told him in a frank manner, enraging Henry a little. "Though the manner of your handling the internal affairs of my realm and the external threat of Acromantulas is worthy of some praise, the methods you employ against your enemies and your slothfulness towards eliminating them are unacceptable, not of Prince Le Fay. You have allowed them far too much room for maneuver. You let them come too close to you. You were sloppy enough to even let one of your closest lovers be snatched like that, not to mention losing a valuable ally as well. And now, they hold one of your brides a hostage, an action unforgivable in my eyes."

"As well as mine, and Dumbledore will not go unpunished for what he has done, but how was I to predict that he would act like this?!" Harry shouted at him. "This way of handling things… This isn't like he usually operates, no. This is something Voldemort would do…"

"And there it is- your arrogance blinding you and your mind." Morgana sternly told him, with Harry turning to her. "You have _assumed _that Dumbledore would not act in the way he did. You _didn't _know. You have allowed your assumptions to become your belief, and this has led to you losing your lover. As Prince Le Fay, this is an inexcusable trait to have, and one that must be removed at once."

"She isn't dead, and they won't get anything from her…" Harry growled at Morgana.

"Are you certain? You have underestimated Dumbledore and his cohorts once, and now you are doing so again. You have been acting out of too much assumptions and beliefs, instead of calculus and predictions made on facts. Not to mention that you have been acting quite petty and inconclusively, if your little scheme with Potters and Weasley to be remembered." Morgana pointed out to him. "Your assurance in your own and your allies' safety have compromised your thinking, and have led to this crisis you face. You have been so absorbed in your planning and scheming for the long game, that you have failed to review all that you knew and take into the account that the result of your actions may, and _will_, trigger a reaction from your enemies. Did you really think that after revealing your alliance to Blacks and that Rose was your Heiress, Dumbledore and his cronies wouldn't be able to determine that Nymphadora was working with you and could have potential information on you? Not only that, did you _really_ think that Lucius Malfoy wouldn't inform Severus about Nym being at the meeting you had with that man, and that Severus wouldn't inform Dumbledore? An oversight of such important things is frankly something I can't abide, and find it to be more than enough of a reason to be concerned for House Le Fay's safety."

Henry growled out in anger and fury, but in his mind and soul, he couldn't help but agree with Morgana and assessment of the situation, as well as her complaints towards him and his handling of things. As much as he had hated to admit about himself, he was petty and arrogant, especially now that he realized it. He reveled in his manipulations of Potters and Dumbledore, while being undetected and unfound by them, as he had foolishly believed. Just as Nymphadora had told him, he did have a tunnel vision when it came down to him acting and planning. He really did assume that Dumbledore and Voldemort would act in a way that he had perceived, as he believed, and now it had backfired at him.

He should've predicted different and alternative outcomes, not relied on what he believed. Hell, he has made the very damn mistakes that his parents had made with him: they underestimated him and were led to believe him to be weak and worthless because of their assumptions. He thought his opponents to be predictable and not ready for actions, when it reality, he was the one being predictable, letting his enemies get far too close to him and his family. He didn't even make any contingencies in case something like that was to happen. And for that Harry had cursed himself, without trying to look for any excuse or whatsoever. No, this was really his fault and there was no going around it.

He had become arrogant, complacent and too assured in his powers after his first victories against Dumbledore, Potters, Death Eaters and Voldemort. He lost had lost the needed sense of fear and sense of danger, overestimated his own genius and capacity to outsmart his opponents… Morgana was correct in stating all of those complaints on him. He should've acted not petty and scheming, not in a way to stroke his ego and boost it, but instead he should've acted in way that should've hurt his enemies the most. His scheme with Gringotts' account of Potters was the prime example of his arrogance. He could've found a hundred different ways to deprive Potters of the needed money, without revealing his existence, but instead he had decided to play into their plans, while also stroking his pride. He should've cut Potters off the money when he had the chance from the start, and he should've protected Nymphadora and Kingsley with better care and precautions instead of playing his little schemes, like those pathetic wannabe Slytherins.

"You really should've done so, Henry, and without any fear that they could come close to you. In fact, the reveal of your true fate to the mass public is something that _they _should fear, not you. You are playing into their agenda by this attitude." Rose-Morgana stated to him, having predicted Harry's thoughts and said her opinion. "Truth, at times, can be the deadliest sword, but it is also a two-edged sword, not a single-edged. Now, seeing as the potential civil war within my House was averted, I shall leave you to deal with _your _mess. I may be displeased with how you have been handling yourself, but there are still bright spots in your work so far, bright enough to allow me the belief of you improving the ways you run House Le Fay and how you deal with your enemies. However, in case you find yourself forgetting this entire foolish endeavor, I shall leave you with a strong enough reminder of this mess. Now, go and take care of it all." With that being said, Rose's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body went rigid for a second, before falling down.

Harry was able to catch her form before she hit the ground, but the second he looked at her he understood what Morgana had meant about leaving a reminder to him. Rose's hair didn't revert back to red, instead becoming silver grey just like his, with a single lock remaining blond. Now Rose had fully looked much like him and did resemble his sibling, though safe for her eyes, as they now were blue as well. Morgana had left her message loud and clear, and every time Harry now looked at his sister, he will remember their talk and this day. Morgana may not have been too harsh on him in a physical sense, but she had quite a way of punishment and reminding those that have failed her. Rose regained the functions of her body and had stood up, with Harry helping her up, before she spoke up.

"I thought that she would simply be able to help, but… Harry, I…" Rose stammered, with Harry raising his hand and stopping her.

"No, she is right on all accounts… I have been complacent, arrogant, foolish… Time to start less than a Slytherin and more like a Le Fay." Harry sighed, turning to Rose. "I doubt we'll be able to reverse the change in colors, so sorry…"

"It's alright. I was planning to change the hair color anyway, and eyes are a welcome change too." Rose joked a little, with Harry not laughing at all. "Harry, about Nymphadora… You can't just go and barge in without a plan. Let Regulus get Amelia, or at least wait for the vassals…"

"I've been waiting far too long already. Once I know where Nym is, I'm going and I'm killing anything and anyone standing in my way." Harry sternly stated, with anger clear in his voice, before he remembered about Irene and Rias. "And we might just have a way of finding her now…" He said, with him and Rose moving towards the bound form of Rias.

Irene's incantations have been completed and she had stopped, pulling out of her daughter's mind and releasing a sigh. Bounds upon her form had weakened and dissipated, while Rias had sharply inhaled air into her lungs, before releasing them. Carefully, almost frightened, she rose up onto her feet, before locking her eyes with mother. A moment of uncertainty had passed between them, before tears welled up in their eyes, and Rias launched herself at Irene, embracing her mother once more, whimpering silently as she did. Irene didn't abstain from this affection, instead embracing her daughter once more, able to once more hold her in her arms. She whispered calming words and held her close, letting her little red Angel calm down, while Rias spoke to her.

"M-mother, I-I am so sorry… I-I can't believe I…" She rambled on.

"It is alright, my Angel, it is alright. That wasn't you, I know it." Irene told her, looking at her with tears and a smile. "For centuries, I had mourned you and your father, and now… I am the one who must ask your forgiveness, Rias. I _should've_ been stronger, not let my own hubris blind me and…"

"I know, mother. Father also knew, and he didn't hold you in any ill. He only wished to be reunited with you in afterlife." Rias told her, as they've detached from each other, before she noticed the new Prince Le Fay and his sister come to them. "Henry Le Fay."

"Rias Le Fay." Harry greeted her with a reserved nod.

"I understand that the conditions of our meeting are less than ideal, and I will not deny that I am pleased with the fact of you being in control of House Le Fay." Rias spoke up in a sophisticated and polite manner, though one with strength in it. "However, I also recognize that even though I have been used as a tool agaisnt you, I do owe you a debt, for reviving House Le Fay and restoring its influence. As a way of repayment, I shall acknowledge you as the current leader of House Le Fay, but do not hope that my acknowledgement of your status warrants you the ability to command me in any way. As the direct descendant of Morgana Le Fay, I expect you to treat me with a degree of respect and in a cordial manner. For as long as your interests are primarily aligned with ones that benefit House Le Fay, I shall assist you. If not… Better you do not find out." The not so subtle threat was well received by Harry, who nodded to her.

"So long as we are not at each other's throats, I am content. However, there are some questions I would like to ask, and you may have the information I require at this immediate moment." Harry spoke up.

"If you ask me about your metamorphic lover, then I shall tell you that she is being held in a mansion, which stood on top of the mausoleum, in which I was held in stasis." Rias spoke up. "Your father and his friends disclosed not its name, but recall that in front of the mansion stood a statue of a stag, holding a sword in his mouth."

"Fleamont's main mansion." Rose, along with Harry, instantly recognized the place where they lived. "The stag with the sword is a symbol of House Fleamont, but why was Rias in there, instead of somewhere in Norfolk, where Potters' main lands are?"

"Those lands were once Potters' but gifted in 14th century to House Fleamont as a wedding gift. The Potters must've forgotten about the holding cell when they were gifting it, and James found out about it, somehow." Harry deduced, letting out a sharp exhale. "Anything else you may disclose?"

"Only that you may wish to hurry." Rias said with sympathy. "The methods the torturer used on her were… inhumane. And… I am sorry, for everything." Without wasting a breath, Harry apparated out sight, with Rose letting out a groan.

"There could be the whole damned Order by now for all we know, damn it!" She cursed to no one in particular, before deciding to take charge of things at last. "Irene, get me Elune, Hirandyl and Skadhi, and tell them to that I need their best warriors here yesterday! And inform them, along with elementals and everyone else to be on a look out for any spies, suspicious wizards and witches and just anyone who reeks Order of Phoenix or Death Eaters! Double time, now!" Without wasting a word, Irene simply nodded and disappeared.

This was truly a shitstorm, as Cassiopeia Black liked to say in moments of crisis.

* * *

**Fleamont's main mansion. One minute later.**

Harry's form reappeared right in front of the barrier that obstructed his way into the Fleamont's mansion. Sensing that the path was closed up for him, he whipped out his wand and instead quietly and safely weaving away the barrier, he blasted a hole in it with a fully charged _Fulgur _charm, clearing the path ahead. Losing none of his speed, he took out of a pocket a small vial with a rejuvenation potion, drinking it and starting to feel his magical power and stamina replenished, even as he moved quickly to the main doors of the mansion.

He wasn't waiting around for anyone, not now. Morgana had told him to take care of his mess, and he was going to do so, even if Rose and Cassiopeia may eat away his brains as a lunch for being this careless. He didn't care for that in the slightest. All of his thoughts were focused on Nymphadora and getting her out of there as soon as possible. He knew that he would be facing off resistance, and it could be a strong one, but he didn't care for it. He had spent months' worth of time training and building up his power, and quite frankly, he was itching to finally use it against his enemies. Time for schemes and plots was over, and time for pain and violence has come.

Passing by the stag, he once more whipped out his wand and blasted the doors off their hinges with a quick _Reducto_. Stepping through rubble inside the mansion, he heard slow clapping, coming from the second floor. Once he looked up there, he saw Sirius Black there, clapping with a smirk.

"Now that is what I call an entrance. Thank you, you've just won me 10 Galleons, my dear godson." Sirius said with smile, while Harry's eyes slightly widened, before returning back. "Although, I must admit, Harry, that I, as well as the rest of us, have not expected you to be able to cheat death, but then again, you were always so full of surprises. You would've made a perfect Marauder, had you not been such a… Well, disappointment."

"The feeling is mutual, mutt." Harry said with anger to him. "I'll assume that you've managed to bypass Cassiopeia's spell work and Nym's Occlumency shields."

"Oh yes, though it was a pain in arse to do so. Hell, Snivellus had been practically red with anger at not being able to break Nym, but once we've finished up with Le Fay girl, she did all the work for us." Sirius chuckled, as he came down to the first floor, while Hestia Jones and Remus emerged from the corridors. "Can you imagine our shock and surprise at finding out, that the man that had destroyed Potters' reputation in single stroke, was actually Potter himself! You should've seen the faces of James and Lily when they learned the truth. Shame you've just missed them, they were in a hurry to report back to Dumbledore all the findings."

"Yes, truly a shame. That I don't get to end them today." Harry said in a cold and angered manner, while his opponents drew out their wands. "I'll give you one chance to release Nym and walk away with your worthless lives, as a custom dictates."

"Perhaps it would be wise for _you_ to walk away now, Harry." Remus spoke up, getting his wand up. "You are outnumbered and now that Dumbledore knows everything, this is the end of your little scheme. Surrender and we will be merciful to you, despite all the wrong you have done to us."

"The end? No, this just the beginning of war." Harry replied to them, before he quickly sent out an _Expulsio_ at Remus.

Werewolf had dodged it, with the wall behind him exploding in pieces, while Sirius and Hestia began to cast up disarming and stupefying charms at Harry. He put up no resistance against them, allowing his enchanted garments take the hits and protect him from harm. Tanking through the first volley of attacks, Harry decided not to waste time with them, using the flames in the candles of chandelier as his weapon, conjuring them into a flaming whip and sending it around at them.

The trio was forced to move around as to not get burned to cinders, unable to coordinate their attacks, until the flames had forced Remus and Sirius to move deeper into the mansion through of the corridors, while Hestia remained in the reception, her paths obstructed by fires. Harry put out the firing whip, but not the fires that blocked Hestia's path, before he began to move towards her. The Auror had tried to send several cutting and exploding charms at Harry, but he simply blocked them with his _Protego_, before she spoke up.

"H-Harry, please, y-you have to understand that D-Dumbledore had o-ordered me to s-spy on Nym, 'c-cause he didn't trust her and s-she was back in Black's good graces." She tried to talk her way out of it all, but Harry simply moved closer towards her. "I-I wanted to warn her, b-but Dumbledore, h-he had helped me become A-Auror and I…" Suddenly, Hestia found herself unable to move, with Harry's left hand raised and holding her in place.

"And I don't give a damn. You betrayed Nym, and that's all I care about, bitch. _Avada Kedavra._" Green cloud of magical energy quickly found its target and struck Hestia, rendering her dead.

Caring nothing for her husk of a body, Harry left her there, before casting a quick _Homenum Revelio _and seeing four quick lights leaving his wand and flying right towards where Sirius and Remus had went. One of them was clearly Nym, it had to be, while the three others were enemies, with two being Marauders and the other a member of the Order. If he had to guess, then it would have to be Severus Snape, the residential torturer of Dumbledore. Henry suspected that the greasy bastard still wanted his revenge on Harry for what had happened in the Chambers of Secrets, and had foreseen Henry coming here for Nym. He wasn't going to disappoint them.

As he put out the fire, which had blocked his path, Harry moved forward, carefully and slowly, listening in on where his enemies may be. While he did so, his mind for a few moments dwelled on the fact that his secret was out, and that Potters had went to Dumbledore to inform him about it all. Surprisingly, even for him, Henry didn't even give a damn at the moment about the fact of him being alive, as Harry Potter. The only thing he did feel was the slightest relief at the fact that he could drop the act with these people and act as he wanted. Hell, he could now freely take revenge on them while being truthful. Somehow, this knowledge had made the desire for revenge even more insatiable. However, he was forced to comb it down, as he focused up on his immediate mission.

As he had exited the corridor, Henry found himself in a decorated hall, with weapons, armors, symbols of power and regalia displayed, along with furniture and fire place, along with another stairway onto the next floor. This was the guestroom, where the meetings of all kinds were conducted. As Harry moved slowly and carefully, he heard Sirius once more speak up.

"I'll give you credit, kid, you've definitely gotten stronger." Sirius' voice seemed to be everywhere, probably the work of a charm. "But, you should've stayed in Azkaban, rotting away in that damn cell of yours, because now we'll make sure you pay for being such pain in the ass to us all."

"If Azkaban and all of its Dementors not been able to kill me in 2 years' time, you and the rest of your posy don't stand a chance, Sirius. You should've taken the offer I gave, but at least now I'll have the pleasure of skinning you of your hide." Harry replied, sensing out with his magic magical signatures. "Although, I must say, that despite all that bragging about being better than the backstabbing Blacks, you actually fit the bill the best now, Sirius. Walburga must be elated in Hell with you, having killed Kingsley in such a brutal fashion. Truly, a murder worthy of name Black."

"Shut up, brat! You've forced my hand with Kingsley, as you've forced it with Nymphadora." Black defended himself. "Had you and Amelia not worked against us, there wouldn't be a need for any of it!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Sirius, but we both know that you've secretly enjoyed it. I'd even go as far as to say that you felt proud for yourself." Harry kept talking, finally picking up on the magical signatures near him, with one being right behind him, yet hidden in some way, "You've finally managed to live up to your parents' dreams and desires. You've killed a Light Wizard in an extremely brutal fashion, and one that was your friend no less. Only a Black would be able to do so, at least a Black in the eyes of those degenerates like Orion, Walburga, Cygnus and you especially." Harry casted a quick glance on an armor behind him, noticing a small ripple in the air behind him.

Smirking, he reached out with his telepathy towards the suit of armor and moved its shield towards the ripple in the air. The shield slammed into the invisible object, forcing a pained groan and the sound of falling. As Harry turned around, he saw Sirius Black, flat on his back, with the Cloak of Invisibility laying underneath him. A quick _Expeliarmus_ had ensured that Black wasn't armed anymore, with the realization of his demise settling in with gripping fear within his eyes. He began to crawl away, but he was stopped by an invisible force, gripping him and holding him in place. Sirius realized that it was Harry using his power and pleaded to him.

"H-Harry, please! I-I am your Godfather, t-the closest thing you have to a-a parent after J-James and L-Lily! Please you can't just kill me! I-I know things, many things, about Dumbledore and James, especially James! I'll tell you everything! J-just let me go alive!" Sirius begged for his life.

"Tell me where Nym is, and I'll not kill you." Harry's tone of voice made it clear that he wasn't negotiating.

"D-Dorea's o-old lab, just under us." Sirius told him, with the magical force no longer holding him in place, letting him rise up. "S-So, I-I can g-go free?"

"No." Harry simply told the man, before swiftly raising up in the air as a shield agaisnt an incoming spell.

Sirius didn't even have a second to scream, before he felt his head explode in a hundred fleshy and bloody pieces. Harry's _Protego_ had secured him from any debris incoming towards him and miring his look. Without a care, he let go of the decapitated form of Sirius Black, revealing in front of him Remus Lupin, shocked and shaking, with his wand pointed at him.

"SIRIUS!" He shouted out loud, as he had begun to aimlessly send spells at Harry. "You told him you wouldn't kill him, you worthless son of a whore!"

"And I didn't, you did all the killing for me." Harry simply replied, swiftly reflecting and blocking all the incoming spells. "As for that whoreson part, can't argue with that one. But if you wish to know, you've signed your damned death warrants right there in the Chambers, Remus." Growing tired with the pointless game they were playing, Harry captured Remus into his invisible hold, propelling him from the second floor and to fall right before his feet.

Remus groaned from pain, struggling to get up, yet failing. Whatever the spell or magic Henry had used, it had rendered him incapable of even moving a muscle. This was clearly some form of powerful Dark magic, something that only Voldemort, aside from Harry, would be able to do. Harry moved his hand and send Remus flying right into the wall, impacting him into it, before moving closer to him and speaking up.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it, Remus?" Harry asked of him, not waiting for an answer. "I see that they've reversed the effects of _Caro Mortui_ and grew you a new arm. Impressive, Dumbledore and Pomfrey must have been quite proud of their work."

"Whatever your plans are, you will fail, Harry." Remus spat at him. "Now that Dumbledore knows who you really are, it's just the matter of days before you are back in Azkaban, or finally put out of your damn misery."

"You say it like the truth at this point even matters. Do you want to know what will happen next? Nothing, because the moment Dumbledore decides to reveal the truth about me, I'll reveal _everything _I know about him and your little merry band of vigilantes, and both Kingsley and Nym have told quite a great deal about you all. And Dumbledore must realize that my reveal will only hurt him, especially when ICW's Court decides to check the whole affair." Harry smirked at the look of despairing realization in Remus' eyes. "But you won't be around to witness it, fleabag."

The next move of Harry's hand, and Remus' eyes bulged with fear and dread, when he saw Remus be lifted off his place, before slammed with a full force right into the stone celling. The sheer force of impact had torn flesh apart, broke bones and released blood, yet Remus had been alive yet. Then Harry had released his grip on the werewolf, letting the gravity claim Remus, as he landed with screams of pain, plastering blood all over the floor and carpets. As he had groaned and tried to make a move, Remus's bloodied ears heard a distinct sound of a stone breaking right above him. Looking up, his single looking eye perceived, how a perfectly cut stone cross fell upon his form, crushing his body and smashing it to bits, with blood flowing out from underneath it.

Harry had summoned the Cloak to himself, cowering himself in it. However, before he had left the room, he decided to take extra precautions, and sent _Incendio Diabolica_ at the stone cross, burning it and preferably dead Remus Lupin underneath it in black demonic flame. After he had done it, Harry moved into the attic from the hall, knowing his way towards it, having been there more times than he could remember. He knew that the place would the perfect spot for Severus to await for him, right near the bait. Harry knew it well, and he didn't care for it. It was simply easier in his mind to find the greasy scar faced bastard and kill him. At least he'll be able to pay up for all those years of humiliation, unjust treatment and just tormenting him.

Quietly opening up the door into the lab, Harry's heart skipped beat as he had laid his eyes upon Nym, who was strapped in a chair. For a second he had wished that his eyes had deceived him, but that was impossible, no matter how much he had wished for it. Right in the chair, illuminated by a lamp, sat unmoving form of Nym, her hair grey and dirty from the blood. All of her body was exposed, covered in black spots, lacerations, burns and more things than Harry had cared to know of. She missed a hand, along with all of her nails, was covered in blood, both fresh and dried. The sight of her was such that Harry would forever remember it.

Forgetting all about caution and even Severus, he dropped the cloak off his head and ran to Nym.

"Nym, Nym! Please, Morgana, I beg of you…" He desperately muttered more to himself, before he saw Nym stir up and open up one of her bloodied eyes.

"Har-ry…" She barely said, with Harry smiling to her, as he began to unstrap.

"Nym, don't worry, I'll get you out in no time!" He was through most of them.

"N-no… Bomb…" Nym muttered, right before Harry had untied the last of the holding restraints.

Harry didn't have the time to register what Nym had told him, as he heard a magical chain reaction go off, and saw Nym's body suddenly covered up in bright burning runes, running all over her flesh. Before he could do anything, a large flash of fire exploded out from the runes, sending Harry flying and landing onto his back, with left part of his face covered in nasty burns, with even his eye burned away.

Pain registered all through his brain and he just barely restrained himself from screaming out of it, before the realization came to him, as he saw with his single good eye the grinning face of Severus Snape, coming over to the burning blackened husk of flesh and bones, that once was Nymphadora Tonks. The realization of what had just transpired was far more painful than a measly burn all over his face. Nym, his love, his closest friend and companion… was just killed, because of him, because of his actions. And once that settled into his mind, Harry screamed out in pain, roaring as it surged out of him with his magic.

Severus Snape enjoyed the sight of it, the sight of the hated person suffering right in front of him. He had stayed behind just to witness it, to see how the bratty and prideful Harry Potter, the reason he lost Lily to James, writhed in pain both physical and emotional. The idea of the living bomb was something he had long contemplated, only for James and not his son, but when the realization of Potter's brat being in love with this now dead worthless Metamorph came to him, he recalled his more sinister and devious ideas. And just as Snape had predicted, the idiot walked in and did all as was planned. He laughed out loud as he spoke up.

"Ah, I have waited _a long _time for this. This sight, I have dreamt of it for decades, to see the prideful and up-starting Potter on his back, writhing in pain and suffering." Severus said, as he looked at the still burning husk of Nymphadora. "I admit that I had _long _wished I could put this arrogant, self-absorbed whore of a Black and muggleborn in to her place, but this… This is even better. To use her as a means to make you suffer, to finally exact my vengeance, to use your _love_ as a tool, I have never felt more elated than that! And now…" He whipped out his wand walked to the growling form of burnt up Harry, with a sickening smile upon his face. "I shall savor every moment of my vindication. _Cru…"_

"_**CRUCIO!"**_The roar of an inhuman being sounded through all of mansion, followed by the screams of Severus Snape, as he writhed in pain.

Every word of Severus, every second, every moment and every breath he took… All of it had forced Henry's pain and suffering to manifest from agony into rage and fury. The loss of Nym, her torture, pain and suffering, at the hands of this maggot and scumbag… All of it, coupled with an inhumane rage and pain had empowered Harry and unleashed his darkest side. Channeling it all out into a single wish, a singular desire that took a form of primal instinct and determination: to make Severus Snape suffer. And with that, he unleashed the vilest and most detestable of spells known to men, the single curse that he wished never to use, but now…

Now he reveled in the suffering and pain of Severus Snape, as Harry rose up, letting the Cloak fall and revealing him to be fine and well, safe for his face. The Cloak, known to some as one of the Deathly Hollows, was near indestructible, and had safely withstood the powerful explosion and saved most of Harry, safe for his lost eye and left side of face. The pain of it now served as a fuel to his _Crucio_, but it had paled when compared to the unimaginable pain he had felt from loss of his beloved Nymphadora. The realization that she had suffered so much tortured and torment for information and pleasure, only to be used as a _bomb_… This was more than sufficient enough to fuel Harry's _Crucio_.

For full ten minutes, the deafening screams of Severus Snape escaped his mouth, his entire body feeling as if it were pierced, melted, burned, frozen and more all over. His nerves practically burst from pressure, his brain on the brink of melting, yet Harry didn't stop. No, he went well past the point when victims lose their mind, and he pressed on. He kept it up, fueling his curse and prolonging _his_ vindication. He didn't know how much time had passed since he had casted the _Crucio_, but at one moment, Severus' bloodshot eyes exploded, blood and goo flowing out of his ears, nose and where his eyes were, before body had stopped moving and curse lost its effect.

Once it had happened, Harry, as if in stupor, had tried to cast _Crucio_ several more times, before he finally settled in with the realization that it wasn't going to work. His weak hand had released his wand, and it hit the floor with a deafening like sound, crushing the silence that filled the room. The next second, Harry's knees gave way, all strength leaving him and forcing him onto his knees. The rush of anger, pain and agony was passed and now, after all was done… All that Harry was left with was void, sorrow and dumb, deaf pain in his heart. The insatiable thirst, the overwhelming desire and primordial need to destroy the one who had taken away from his love… It was all gone, and Harry was left with a deafening pressure of realization, that his beloved was gone.

Gone, because of him, because of his hubris and idiocy… His body and mind felt numb at that moment, ignoring the entire world that was now passed around him, as tears had fallen from his eye. He ignored everything around him, including the screams and shouts for his name. He had ignored the sounds of running feet towards, as he had ignored the forms of Regulus and Skadhi coming it.

"Harry! Oh my God…" Regulus and Skadhi stopped in their tracks, as they've observed the scene before them, while barely stopping themselves from hurling. "Nym, Mother of God, what had they done to you? Harry… I…"

"We… We need to get him out of here now! He is in shock of sorts." Skadhi said as she looked at virtually dead form of Harry. "This burn must be treated at once and we can't linger here before those bastards find us. Grab that Cloak, cover the body and take her with us." Skadhi commanded with a cool head, as she helped Harry up and led him.

With tears and grimace of pain, Regulus took up the Cloak of Invisibility and wrapped Nym in it, with a visible side on the outside. Carefully, he had taken her body up in his arms and they walked out of the damned place leaving it for good. It took them a few minutes, before they were outside of the mansion, greeted by the sight of small army of Elves' mages and warriors waiting, along with all of Blacks, Rose and Irene with Rias there. Rose and Arcturus were the first to come to them and he spoke up.

"What happened there and where is Nymphadora?!" He practically roared.

"Harry… He cleared the mansion, but…" Skadhi said simply, before looking at Regulus, carrying the covered dead form of Nymphadora.

Gasps escaped the lips of Rose, Cassiopeia, Faye and Bellatrix, but those were _nothing _when compared to the agonizing scream of Andromeda, as she saw her child, her baby's body covered in the Cloak. She tried to run to Regulus, but Ted had stopped her, holding her with all of his strength, not letting his wife go, while his eyes flowed with tears of agony and pain. He embraced Andromeda as she lashed out in agony and madness of loss, whimpering and crying out loud. Arcturus' stone cold face cracked, as shot a pained looked to his grandson, who looked away in shame and slowly walked away from the place, as did Skadhi, who led Harry to Irene and Rias, Cassiopeia joining them.

Rose had allowed her tears to flow freely, and was near whimpering, until an Elven Mage came to her and spoke up.

"Milady, you have all of our deepest sympathies, but… What will be your command?" He asked of her, with Rose turning to him, before nearly whispering.

"B-burn it…" She said in a dead voice.

"I am sorry…"

"I said burn it! Burn, demolish, annihilate, smash, eviscerate, _**DESTROY THIS DAMNED PLACE!**_**" **Rose screamed like a woman possessed at the Mage, who quickly nodded and commanded the Night and High Elves to start destroying it.

And as Rose had watched her once home collapse and burn away, she felt the sorrow and sadness settle in, but along with it, rage and fury she hadn't felt ever before come out. Before the mansion was but a pile of ashes and ruin, she had sworn in her heart and soul, that all those that have hurt Nym, all those that have been the cause of her death _will_ die!

House Le Fay had suffered a defeat today, but this was not the end of them, no.

This was just the start of war.

* * *

**This chapter… This was a pain to write to me, and I don't mean just physical. Nym is honestly my favorite character in Harry Potter, and to do this to her… I feel utterly disgusted with myself, but I did set out to do it and I did. I understand that all of you had expected this to be a happy ending, but no… Not this time. This is the arc of defeat for Harry, an arc in which he is defeated because of his hubris and arrogance. **

**This is the arc in which Harry Potter dies completely, and Henry Le Fay lives on.**

**I know this will be flamed to damnation, but let me ask you this: would you **_**really **_**be interested in Henry, if he was infallible, and incapable of defeat? No, I doubt you would be, and I wouldn't be all that interested in him too. And so, as much as this was cruel and savage, I decided to show you, that for all his power and intellect, Harry can be defeated, and that such defeats cost a great deal to him. This one in particular… This is the defining moment for him. And as for Rias... Well, Slash, all I can tell you is that I am over my phase of hating Rias.**

**Comment, review, suggest- you all know the gist. I'll just... I'll just go and cry a little.**

**Next time: Enemies meet; Declaration of war.**


	17. Chapter 17

**August the 19****th****. Albion's Hearth**

The chambers of the Council were the usual meeting place for the representatives of the governing body of Le Fay's lands. Decorated in rich materials and colors of authority, along with the symbols of the various magical races that could be found in here, along with the large table and chairs. The place had been arranged right after Henry Le Fay had received first oaths of loyalty and fealty, as he was prepared to begin governing his realm like he was supposed to. There were already reforms and needed changes put in place, such as equality for all races, establishment of rights and laws, along with update of already existing ones. All done in a relatively short order, and already it had yielded good results for House Le Fay and its subjects.

However, today the chambers weren't used by the councilors and representatives of various races, at least not all of them. The council hadn't reconvened ever since the death of Nymphadora Tonks and recovery of her body and of Prince Le Fay. The reason why there was no meeting held since was the fact that Henry Le Fay, due to the extensive physical and far more severe psychological damage, had been put into a medically induced coma by Cassiopeia, who tended to his burns.

In his absence, Rose had officially assumed the position of acting Princess Le Fay and a regent in Henry's absence. This decision wasn't met gracefully by most of the leaders of magical races, but was accepted, after Neriada, now Queen of Dryads, had openly expressed her support of Rose. The leaders of the races were aware of the situation with Henry, and had made sure to keep their mouths shut on this topic, lest their enemies found out that House Le Fay was currently weakened.

As for the Ministry and the general public of the Magical Britain, Rose had managed to covertly, with the help of Carissa and High Elven infiltrators, plant rumors that Prince Le Fay was currently out of country, possibly pursuing a love interest. That was enough to quell questions from most of the Magical Britain, but not from all, especially the Wizarding Families that have already pledged their loyalty to Henry. Lord Greengrass in particular was concerned with the disappearance of Prince Le Fay, as he had expressed to Rose that without Henry, House Le Fay may lose a golden opportunity to gain more supporters from Neutral, Light and Dark families. Rose, with the help of Tracey, had managed to placate him, at least for the time being.

While House Greengrass was easy to deal with, House Jones was not as easily placated, as its Lord had managed to catch wind of the fact that Hestia Jones, younger sister to current Lord Jones, died thanks to Henry. It didn't take a genius to understand that it was work of Dumbledore, and that he had wanted to capitalize on the disappearance of Prince Le Fay while he could. Well, too bad for him, as Rose had acted quickly and put Lord Jones in his place, subtly reminding him that House Jones had managed to increase their wealth and power due to support of House Le Fay.

Along with that, she had also made it clear as day that Hestia Jones effectively betrayed House Le Fay, as she was a member of a vassal House to Le Fay family, and had paid the price for her betrayal. And when Lord Jones had demanded compensation for the death of his sister, Rose's patience waned down, and stated to him in a direct language, that he should be grateful, that Henry had stopped on just Hestia, instead of punishing the whole House for the betrayal, something that was well within his rights to do. That served the purpose and calmed Lord Jones, and had served as a reminder that House Le Fay isn't one to forgive treachery of any sort.

Rose rubbed the temples on her head with her fingers, reviewing everything that had happened over the past 6 days and coming to the conclusion that House Le Fay had clearly suffered a significant blow, not to mention that she, along with Henry and all of House of Black, had lost their closest family member. Nymphadora was buried just two days ago, laid to rest in the House Black's family mausoleum, an honor that was granted to her by Arcturus and an acknowledgement of Nymphadora Druella Tonks as a full-fledged Black Witch. She was the first Black family member to be allowed in there since the death of Marius Black, as Arcturus forbade burying even his son Orion, Cygnus, Walburga, and definitely Sirius, of whom nothing had remained at this point.

The death of Nymphadora had been a crushing blow to them all, with Andromeda and Ted being devastated the most. In the span of just a few days, Andromeda had seemingly lost all of her youthful appearance and aged to the point that she looked older than Cassiopeia. Her eyes were still red, even though there were no more tears to be shed. Ted had kept up the strong appearance, but it was clear that the loss of his daughter was just as, if not more, heart-breaking and devastating as it was to his wife. The only thing that had kept him away from a bottle or finding trouble and revenge with the Order was Andromeda. The death of her daughter had practically killed her soul, and she had lost the will to go on, and all that had sustained her was the care of her husband, Bellatrix, Faye and even Cornelia, who found out the day after Nym's death.

House of Black had taken the loss of Nym as one would expect, with all its members mourning her death in one way or another. Regulus and Cassiopeia simply ignored speaking on the subject when they could, and went on with their works, while Bellatrix, Faye and Cornelia did their best to help Andromeda. Internally, Rose was afraid that House Black would distance from them after what had happened, but instead, it served only to strengthen their bond. If Arcturus Black was simply angry and held a grudge against the Order, Dumbledore and Potters, he was now enraged and infuriated at them.

He had even gone as far as to send Dumbledore and Potters a Blood Letter, an ancient Black traditional letter, written in a blood of Head of the House. When one such letter is sent, it is always about one thing: Lord Black swears upon his blood that he will see them dead. The last time such letter was sent in 16th century to House Lancaster, a magical branch of English Royal House. A decade later and House Lancaster seized its existence in full, so it was needless to state that House Black was now on a warpath, as was House Le Fay.

And as for House Le Fay's situation regarding Rias, Rose had left her largely to her own devices, though she had ordered Carissa and Irene to keep a watch at her. She may've acknowledged Harry as Lord Le Fay, but that didn't mean that she wasn't after his position and wouldn't do something to obtain it. Irene had assured Rose and others that Rias would keep to her word, even if she would show distaste at that, but Rose wasn't satisfied with just word, so she was cautious. So far there was no indication that Rias was acting out to gain power, but Rose wasn't going to let her guard down around her just yet. Her brother and her had already paid for being arrogant and complacent with their enemies.

As she sat, she looked around herself, to see that she was hardly alone. Regulus, Cassiopeia and Bellatrix were near her, speaking between themselves, while Carissa stood near Neriada, Tracey and Skadhi. At the same time Rias was seated just in front of Rose, with a seemingly bored look, while Irene stood nearby. They've held their own, private so to speak, council. Tracey spoke up.

"Daphne told me that a number of Lords are getting a bit restless and even agitated at the sudden disappearance of Harry. No word on whatever they may be planning, but… It is possible that the death of Hestia Jones and how Lord Jones was 'placated' had reached their ears." Tracey spoke up, with Rose groaning a little. "It is a bit early to draw any solid conclusions, but it is possible that a number of Neutral House may refuse siding with House Le Fay, fearing for their own safety, and considering that Harry isn't capable of explaining to them his reasons…"

"And had they not considered the possibility of that Jones woman betraying House Le Fay, hm?" Rias asked of Tracey. "Well, if they haven't, then perhaps it would be best to let them know the reason why she is dead and Lord Jones was put on a leash. If anything, this will tell that House Le Fay isn't one to forgive betrayals, as it had always been the case before."

"Yes, quite true, but you may want to consider the fact that we have not one, but _two _enemies that would like nothing more than to crush us and leave us without support." Cassiopeia remarked. "Fear may've been a useful tool in the past, and it has its uses now, but what House Le Fay need are loyal and strong allies, not frightened and weak ones. Harry understands that scaring them will drive them away from us and into the arms of either Dumbledore or Voldemort. No, this needs to be handled with more grace and diplomacy."

"I am sorry, but for what reason do we even require them? House Le Fay has the full loyalty to all magical races, and their combined forces are more than sufficient enough to destroy our enemies." Rias spoke up again. "Overthrow this feeble Ministry, install a puppet government and we have the full control of the country. After that, we can do away with the enemies in short notice."

"Henry Le Fay and Rose Le Fay have our loyalty and command our respect, _not _you." Neriada reminded with a glare to Rias. "Like it or not Rias, but I and my people, as well as all other magical races, had sworn our allegiances to Henry and Rose as they had managed to gain not through force, like you have a tendency to do, but through more diplomacy and reforms. The times have changed."

"Not so much as to forget where your true loyalties must lay, Neriada." Rias disagreed. "Your mother had sworn an oath of absolute loyalty to defend and uphold the word of House Le Fay, yet you've seem to have forgotten, even though you _are _the symbol of that oath, being of blood of House Le Fay." Rias smirked a little, as everyone turned their eyes towards Neriada.

"And now my people and I follow Harry, Rias, for now _his_ blood is part of my people." Neriada stated with strength, as she put a hand on her stomach, indicating for everyone what she meant by those words.

"Wait… You are pregnant with Henry's… But…" Regulus, much like most of the others, was in shock, before Neriada spoke up.

"This was the part of our agreement, the vital point to formation of my people's loyalty and allegiance to it. His blood, our child, is now a symbol of the renewed union of House Le Fay and Dryads, as was I first the symbol of the original union. You need not worry, for the daughter will be a Dryad and will not have any claim to House Le Fay's name and throne, and I do not hold any intention of stealing Harry away from his beloveds. He and I have resolved that issue before we lay together." Neriada spoke up to them, explaining the situation. "I will however, fight and kill to protect him and his position, even against someone who is my direct blood relation."

"She is truthful." Tracey said, recalling her reading of Harry's mind. "Harry and she had made love, but only to solidify the union, not for any other purposes. Nym knew about it, as do I. All she feels towards Harry is fierce loyalty, friendship and infinite gratitude, both for avenging her mother and sisters, and for giving Neriada her first child. Other than that, she isn't interested in him like I am."

"Neriada, you seem to misunderstand. I have acknowledged Harry as Prince Le Fay, and I am not someone to strike at my own family." Rias spoke appealingly. "I'm simply offering my own observations on the matter. As we all have established it before, Harry had made some critical errors in his judgment of the situation and it has resulted in loss of his beloved. And it is my personal opinion that it would be now best to act with more determination and willingness, rather than sit by and do nothing and scheme. I realize that he is also Lord Slytherin, but still…"

"We will not act as you propose." Rose finally spoke up, getting the full attention of Rias and everyone else. "The situation with Lord Jones was to be expected, and since he was a minor Lord and had the gall to dictate us how to act, _I_ put him in his place, since he is out vassal. However, if we act like this with _everyone_, we will find ourselves surrounded from all sides by enemies and those that are afraid of us and would prefer us being gone. The same thing had occurred with House Le Fay in the past and what became of it? Right, it was virtually annihilated and left as a memory, while you were placed into a stasis. If we do as you advise, Rias, we will end up the same, with the magical races cutting their losses and abandoning us when the fortune turns away from us. So, instead of playing a tyrannical enforcer, we need to establish contact with those House, show them the benefits of being allies with House Le Fay, convince them of coming to our side and then gaining their loyalty. That way, we'll be able to strengthen our position and weaken the position of our other enemies. For a supposed Heiress of House Le Fay, one would think that you would know about the benefits of diplomacy."

"Forgive me, but I had spent quite a long time in a metaphorical Limbo, and it has left me with a bit of lack of patience." Rias replied, but with no ill in her words.

"Then do regain it, dear, because what Rose had stated is true for House Le Fay and she speaks like a true Princess of House Le Fay must." Irene smiled to her and nodded in respect. "Along with that, she has managed to prevent most of the damage being done to the House, even though its current ruler is incapacitated. It is a trait of a successful ruler, to be able to swiftly and effectively deal with trouble."

"Speaking of our Ruler, what are the news of Harry? How soon will he be up and about?" Skadhi asked of Cassiopeia, who sighed and spoke up.

"It's… difficult to say with certainty." Cassiopeia spoke in a bit of a defeated voice. "I was able to heal his burns by removing and healing the damaged skin and tissue, along with the eye, and used the Stone to fasten the regenerative process of tissue, but the eye was a completely different matter. I had restored it to him, but I had to use the same material that was used in recreating Rose's arm, Irene's blood."

"You used demonic blood for that? But, wouldn't that make both Rose and now Harry…" Bellatrix asked of Cassiopeia.

"Partial Devils, yes. Not quite on the same level in power as my Rias here, but still quite formidable." Irene spoke up. "I had approved of this decision, and had assisted in converting my blood into one that would be best suited to both Rose and Harry. From a medical point of view, we share no blood relations, and the demonic blood that flows through them is their own now. It has already proven to be quite empowering, as we had witnessed with Rose."

"That explains how you've managed to take me down in one shot." Rias remarked. "Morgana's spirit may've empowered you, but without the blood of a Devil, you'd have not been able to focus up so much power. My opinion of you just keeps improving the more I get to know you."

"Glad to hear that, but concerning Harry... The physical damage is one thing, but the damage done to his soul is another thing entirely." Rose spoke up. "Nym… She was like a sister to both of us, and Harry loved her, truly. He had always lived not his own life, but the lives of others, so to speak. His own life means too little to care for, in his own mind, but the lives of those that he sees as his family… She was probably his second most important person in the world, and the way she died… We can only hope that he will come back to us soon and that when he does, he will be able to cope with what had happened."

"The enemies of House Le Fay will no doubt use this opportunity to strike against you, milady." Carissa spoke up. "They have already demonstrated their willingness to strike against your allies by killing them. While Prince may be incapacitated, that doesn't mean that we can't strike back against them. Give me the command, and I will have a dozen best assassins assembled within these walls, waiting for your targets."

"Best you maintain the vigilant watch over our holdings, Carissa, and shore up our defenses here at castle." Rose spoke up. "But, speaking of the enemies, have you been able to find out where the last Horcruxes of Voldemort are?" She turned to Regulus and Cassiopeia.

"The ritual was completed days ago, and it was successful in locating those Horcruxes." Regulus spoke up. "As we had hoped, Voldemort now only has two left and we know of their locations. The first one has been on the move several times over the past 5 days, moving from one Death Eaters' mansion to another. And thanks to the ritual, we know that it is his pet snake, whatever its name is. Voldemort keeps her very close to himself at all times, and only lets it stray from him when it is something really important for him. Getting close to it will be difficult."

"And what about the second one?" Bellatrix asked of him, with Regulus letting out a groan.

"That one is even harder to get than the snake." Regulus stated in a slightly defeated voice. "It's Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem, one of the main artifacts of the Founders of Hogwarts, and Voldemort somehow had managed to hide it away right under Dumbledore's nose. One place that no one would even think to look for it…"

"Wait, you mean _the _Diadem of Ravenclaw?" Rias spoke up, with Regulus nodding to her. "That Diadem belonged to House Le Fay after the death of last Lady of Ravenclaw, as it was passed down to our House, its closest relatives, seeing as Morgana's grandmother was a Ravenclaw and an aunt of Rowena. It belongs to House Le Fay and me and even was on me on the day of my capture. How in Seven Hells did that noseless upstart bastard get his hands on it?"

"The most logical explanation would be that you were looted of it and then Diadem changed hands and owners before ending up in hands of Riddle." Cassiopeia explained to Rias, who huffed at the fact that he favorite piece of jewelry was stolen from her. "That aside, it is bad news that the Diadem is in Hogwarts, and that we don't even know where _exactly_ it could be. There are hundreds of possible places where to store it, with dozens of secret passages, chambers and so on, not to mention that Hogwarts itself may not even allow anyone who looks for the Diadem to find it. But even that isn't the worst part about it all."

"With Dumbledore aware that Harry is alive and is Prince Le Fay _and _Lord Slytherin, he'll undoubtedly take precautions as to not allow him to slip into the castle and it's grounds unnoticed. Hogwarts may have ancient rules and all that, but that doesn't meant that Dumbledore can't install his own wards and warning charms of all sorts." Regulus stated to them all. "Along with that, you can be sure that he will be keeping a very close eye on me, my children, and Rose once we get into Hogwarts in September. We would be able to look for the Diadem then, but with him breathing down our necks…"

"I won't be going to Hogwarts anymore." Rose suddenly stated to them all. "Once Harry wakes up, I will have him arrange me examinations. After what had happened with Nym… I won't be giving the Order another weapon against my House and Harry. The law doesn't prohibit early graduation, and if Dumbledore tries to stop my emancipation, the ICW Educational Board will acknowledge me as an emancipated minor. And I have no desire to sit through basically useless subjects that I have covered with Cassiopeia already."

"A wise move, milady." Irene approved. "However, that does still leave us with a certain problem of finding the Diadem, and I, unfortunately, am incapable to of even setting foot on the grounds of Hogwarts. I was fortunate that Forbidden Forest's own magic obstructed the wards and allowed me to collect those dead Acromantulas, but beyond it, I'll simply not be able to pass, and I have tried several times already. Truly a masterful work of Merlin, a single thing that I find admirable of that sniveling old parasite."

"We need to first find out the location of the Diadem, then plan out how to get it." Rose stated, before turning to Irene. "Irene, are there any books in the library that cover history of construction of Hogwarts, along with its legends, myths and confirmed facts?"

"There are plenty of such books, from Hogwarts, A History to A Thousand and One Secrets of Hogwarts." Irene stated to Rose. "You wish for me to check them out and possibly narrow down the search?"

"Yes." Rose nodded to her.

"I think I'll help you out with this one." Rias suggested, meeting a questioning look from Rose. "Well don't look so surprised. That Diadem was a gift from my father and I am most fond of it. The thought of it being used as a vessel for someone's soul and corrupted like that is repulsive and enough of a reason to hate your so-called Dark Lord. Speaking of whom, weren't you once his top lieutenant or something? Anything we could use against him and his cohorts? Maybe find ourselves a couple of allies among his members?"

"Most of the Death Eaters are drawn to Voldemort either out of fear, greed, or admiration of his power, but there is one thing that is clear with all of them- he can kill them all, and _will_ if they fail him in a major way." Bellatrix stated to them all. "They all know it, and it isn't unheard that there would be plots to end Voldemort once he achieves his goal, but so far, they all are too afraid of making a move, and nor will they go beyond wishful thinking, especially considering that he is very powerful user of Leggimence. But… There are, however, those that would be interested in changing sides, if given what they want. The first person who might like to defect from Voldemort that I can think of is Evan Rosier."

"Lord of House Rosier? He may not be in the most inner circle of Voldemort, but he is no traitor anything. Why would he want to switch sides?" Regulus asked of Bellatrix.

"Because more than have purebloods' traditions preserved, he would want to see murderers of his sister and her children brought to justice and killed, and three of those responsible ones already died at Harry's hand." Bellatrix spoke up again. "Isabella Rosier was a wife of Michael Potter, and her death had been quite carefully organized by James Potter and his friends, not to mention Snape. Death of Gabriel is also on that bastard's hands… along with the deaths of Charlus and Dorea."

"Son of a… I knew he was rotten, but _this_… If either Arcturus or Harry find out…" Regulus shook his head.

"They'll have to get in line." Cassiopeia growled out. "That arrogant, self-absorbed, greedy, venomous prick… Dorea had loved him the most of her children, did everything that he had a good childhood, and he did _this_ to her! I'll personally carve out his heart and make him eat it!"

"You may be lucky today, Cassiopeia." Irene suddenly spoke up, as she looked towards the direction of the throne room. "I've just sensed three persons materialize inside the Throne Room, with a phoenix sitting on one of them. They James and Lily Potters, with Dumbledore accompanying them. They've used the flaming bird to get in here past our barriers."

"Are those three mad, or do they really think that they come in here just like that, unannounced and leave without a punishment?" Rias asked in a slightly amused way. "The gall of those three… What will be your decision, Lady Le Fay?" She asked of Rose, who rose up from her chair.

"Let's go and see what those three want. Either way, if they dare set foot here after what they had done, they deserve at least to be heard, and then vaporized with extreme cruelty afterwards." Rose gave Irene the look, with the Devil nodding to her. "Now, let's go and greet them."

* * *

**The next moment.**

The crack of teleportation sound throughout the hall and the entire group appeared right in front of Dumbledore, on whose shoulder sat his pet phoenix Fawkes, while at his sides stood James and Lily Potter, looking rather pleased and proud with themselves. The loss of their Mansion and their friends seemingly never happened to them, or they've simply didn't let it show in the open. Whatever it was, the sight of them looking so pleased with themselves was enough to infuriate most of them, especially Rose, who struggled to keep her cool at this point.

As for Dumbledore himself, he looked as if nothing had ever happened, sporting his usual grandfatherly look. For some reason, there was no sense of comfort when Rose or other has looked at him, but a feeling of anger and desire to hurl. Whatever the reason they may've had to come here, Rose and her family here planned to find out and deal with them. She was the first one to speak up.

"You three are madly gall or simply mad, if you think that you can just come here in the open after what you have done." Rose spoke to them with cold hostility present in her tone. "I suggest you use that bird of yours now, before I decide to get rid of you three."

"Now, is that any way to be treating your parents and family, Rose?" Lily asked of her in an overly sweet voice. "Don't you want to at least say hello to your mother, father and your favorite teacher? No? Then maybe Harry will be more interested in meeting us."

"Speaking of whom, where is that good for nothing escapee?" James asked without care, with Regulus restraining Rose from coming to him and literally plunging her wand into his throat. "I've got to admit that he had us all fooled with that little act. Who knew that the bastard had any spine left in him, especially after Azkaban? Well, no matter, I'm sure he either lost all, or will lose it soon enough in Azkaban again."

"Irene, will you be able to kill phoenix before he flames away with everyone?" Rose suddenly asked of Irene.

"I am afraid I won't be able to, milady. But I do believe that I will be able to kill at least one of them in time before they escape." Irene stated to her.

"Then start with the kinslayer here." Rose gave the command, with James widening his eyes in shock.

"Please, Rose, my dear, there is no need for such hostilities and violence." Dumbledore spoke up in his usual manner. "I can see how you may be on the defensive after the incident that had occurred earlier, but I assure you, that we have come here with peaceful intentions."

"Incident?! You've had ordered the death of Kingsley Shacklebolt, a member of Sacred 28, and your little pet Death Eater had tortured and made a member of _my_ House into a living bomb, and you have the gall to call it _an incident_?!" Cassiopeia shouted in an enraged voice. "You spill the noble blood of Wizarding Britain and that of Black, and _dare _come here, claiming it as an incident?! And you even bring here the man responsible for deaths of my sister and her sons and grandchildren?! Phoenix or not, Dumbledore, I _will_ have your heads!"

"I have not ordered anyone's deaths, Lady Cassiopeia. I merely wanted to have Kingsley and Nymphadora taken care of in a peaceful manner, nothing more." Dumbledore spoke unwavering.

"Then why let Marauders and Snape do the entire job, Dumbledore? You know better than anyone, that out of all your pets, those are your most vicious and violent, not to mention utter failures in grace and peaceful manner of work." Regulus crossed his arms on his chest. "Sirius alone was a closet sadist, something that he had inherited from our mother. Only someone as sick as her could come up with such a way of killing, through a Floo Teleportation. To have one's molecules disintegrated and destroyed in the process, to feel it all… Truly a death worth of so-called Black Family."

"You want to put blame on someone? Then why not look at yourselves for a change, Regulus?" James spoke up again. "Had you with Harry not schemed with Bones and sent those two to spy on us, they would be alive and kicking, instead of one literally nothing, and the other…"

"Say another word about my niece, you mongrel, and I'll make you regret the day you were born." Bellatrix threatened to him. "Don't even think about denying anything, Potter. I may've been under the ritual's control, but I remember _everything _and every single detail about what had transpired while I was with Death Eaters. That includes you and your Marauders scheming to kill your parents and Gabriel, along with Michael's wife and children."

"You can't prove anything, you Voldemort's whore." Lily spoke up in defense of her husband. "Who would believe an utterly crazy and insane witch, who probably got off of having her Dark Lord practicing _Crucio_ on her?"

"That is quite enough all of you. We are not here to antagonize each other like this." Dumbledore spoke up again, before turning to Rose. "Rose, my dear, I can't help but wonder if you are alright, being in a company such as this. The fact that you are in company of two notorious Death Eaters, along with a Devil and a half Devil… Perhaps it will be best you come with me, in well protected Hogwarts?"

"The day I set foot in Hogwarts will be the day I decide to witness your death, Dumbledore." Rose coldly replied to him. "Now, what the hell do you want? You wouldn't come here just to gloat, nor would you not come here without making sure that if something had happened with you, people would know that you were here before you disappeared. So, what's the deal?"

"Hm, looks like someone had finally gotten a little smarter." James chuckled. "Fine, we are here to make you an offer that you can refuse, so to speak. And before you ask, if you do refuse, you all lot will be shipped off to Azkaban before you can even spell out _Stupefy_."

"As you may have already noticed, the Magical World is still unaware of the fact that Harry, our son, still lives and that he has assumed the false identity of Prince Le Fay, using some foul means to obtain the title and lands." Lily spoke up.

"Actually, in his case, there was nothing foul or false. He's been appointed to this position by Morgana Le Fay herself, my great grandmother, and that is something even I can't argue with." Rias spoke up in an overly sweet voice. "Like it or not, my dear disgruntled disinherited whore, but the person you loath and hate had managed to do what you will never be able to."

"Regardless, the fact of Prince Le Fay being Harry Potter, a presumed dead convicted criminal and a Dark Lord in the making, remains the same, and we have the solid proof of that." James spoke up with a smirk. "We can have it published in the Daily Prophet at any time we want, and there is nothing you can do about it, safe for one thing."

"I will be honest with you and I wish that you to understand, the last things I had wanted were to have the deaths of dear Nymphadora and Kingsley on my hands. I had hoped that Severus and Sirius wouldn't act on their baser and lower instincts, but alas, I was mistaken and I shall forever carry this shame with me." Dumbledore said with theatrical sadness. "I truly had believed that dear Nym would be willing to share with us what she knew without the need of violence, but… There has been enough blood spilled by all of us and there need not be any more of it. Our conflict serves no purpose, other than further strengthening our common enemy. I am sure that Harry sees it as well, and understands that a war between us will only weaken the country and leave it vulnerable before Voldemort. And once he begins his attack against us all… I fear that even William will not be able to stop him."

"In face of such adversary and the threat he poses, I believe that it would be in all our interests if we had buried our grievances and forgave each other all the wrongdoings to stand as one against that threat." Dumbledore said in his diplomatic way, with Bellatrix, Neriada, Regulus and Skadhi narrowing their eyes on him. "Even though Harry had made many ill-based decisions and spilled blood of good men, there is still a way to atone for his wrongdoings, the same as with all of you. House Le Fay and Order need not fight each other, when we can fight together. Please, tell Harry that I am prepared to forget everything, should he reconcile with all of us, especially with his parents and brother, and allow Rose to return back to House. There is still an opportunity for him to stand on the right side and do the right thing."

"But, should that idiot refuse this final olive branch of peace, we won't be able to contain the sensitive information we currently have." James smirked to them all. "So, either he finally does what is required of him and stops being such a pain the arse, or he'll be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban, only this time he'll have all of you here as his company. So, will you deliver this message to him?"

"Go ahead, tell everyone about me." Suddenly, from the corridor, came a strong and resolute voice of Henry Le Fay, as he stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to everyone.

He was dressed in the colors of House Le Fay, with blue coat, white shirt underneath the black vest and black pants. His long silvery hair had been trimmed to short, with his left side of the face covered in bandages, hiding away his scarring. He walked with strength and determination, an air of power thick around his form, magic dancing around him. Everyone who knew him could tell that this was no longer the same Harry they knew before. No, this time, before them now walked a new person, still made of the same foundations as Harry Potter, but lacking something that once was inside of him.

He quickly crossed the distance between the group and uninvited guests, ignoring the gawking looks sent towards him. He took his place between Rias and Rose, before speaking up to Dumbledore.

"You come here, bringing these two amoral pieces of garbage and dirt with you, speaking of forgiveness and alliance, and expect me to kowtow to you at the threat of you revealing who I really am?" Harry chuckled darkly to them all. "I am honestly very disappointed, Professor. For someone of your Slytherin mind not to see something so obvious is truly appalling."

"Harry, my dear boy, you have no idea…" Dumbledore tried to be polite to him and to warm his way into his heart, but was stopped by Harry speaking again.

"Yes that you don't." He said coldly to him, before looking at the smirking James. "What's so funny, James?"

"You, my dear ill-fated bastard of a child, Harry." James laughed at him. "Do you really think that we'll buy this all mighty act now that we know who you really are? Face it, you dimwit, the only thing that stops me from making you pay for Sirius and Remus is Dumbledore giving you a second chance."

"And the only thing that stops _me _from making you pay for my _true _parents is that flaming parrot." Harry motioned towards Fawkes. "Don't ask me how I know. I'll just that there is nothing that can be hidden within these walls from me, not anymore. Now, Dumbledore lets drop the act and be plain with each other. Just why do you think that after everything that has happened, I will _ever _even consider helping you."

"Because, Harry, you simply have no choice in the matter, not anymore." Dumbledore let go of his grandfatherly act and spoke firmly and with strength befitting his standing. "I will admit, that for some time, I had considered you to be worthy of continuing my work, but you leaning towards your Black side had squandered that chance for you and me. I am well aware of the fact that you had helped defeat Voldemort several times in the past, and I am grateful, but I can't allow risk another Dark Lord taking over Britain. You have clearly shown that you care very little for others, so I am making this clear for you: join me and help us all take down Voldemort, or I will finish the work of our ancestors and see House Le Fay reduced to ashes and history once more."

"I dare you to try, you sniveling old…" Rias's magic began to give way, before Harry spoke up.

"Rias, that will be quite enough, thank you." Harry stepped down the stairs and was now on the same level as Dumbledore. "You are correct in you assumption of me hating Voldemort, and I do plan to have him removed. However, if you think, that after what has happened, I will cater in to your demands then you are even more delusional old man than you let everyone see you. You think I am afraid of you letting it be known who I am? Well, let me dispel that little illusion for you: I am not afraid. In fact, I dare to reveal it to the world, but we both know that you won't do it."

"And what makes you think that we won't? You've killed our closest friends, escaped prison, practiced dark magic, and abducted our daughter and…" Lily would've continued, had she not been silenced by Harry's magical power clenching at her throat.

"I was not finished, so be quiet." Harry didn't even spare Lily a glace, letting her go, before removing with magic the bandages.

Quickly, the bandages had been removed from his head, revealing a fully functioning bright blue eye in place of his previous green. The area around it was covered in a barely seen scarred tissue, already fading away, but still seen. Harry pointed a finger at his new eye and spoke to Dumbledore.

"Severus did this to me, but he did not finish the job. Instead, he opened up my eyes to the truth. The truth, that is so dangerous to you, Dumbledore that you'll make certain that no one reveals it." Harry spoke to him. "You haven't come here to bargain, no. You've come to gamble on me being afraid the truth, when in reality truth would make _my_ life _a lot _easier and _your _life would get _a lot _harder."

"What makes you so certain I won't just walk away from here and tell everyone the truth about you?" Dumbledore asked of him, though his tone was no longer as firm as it used to be.

"Because you are a coward, Dumbledore, and you hate when people start asking questions about you. And once the truth is out, it won't be the Wizengamot this time asking the questions, but the ICW's Court, and you won't be able to fool them." Harry simply stated to him. "But, just to be on the safe side. Irene, kill them." Harry suddenly commanded to Irene, with her obeying.

Unfortunately, before her crimson bolts of were able to reach her targets, a flash of phoenix flame teleported them away from here. Harry let out a sigh, before turning back to everyone and walking up the three stairs and speaking up.

"He truly must be either desperate or insane to have come here." Harry said in a low tone, looking at the spot where they stood. "But, I'll give them the credit where it is due: the old I would've bought that gamble of his."

"Harry, are you…" Rose spoke up sympathetically, with Harry turning to her and speaking up with a small smile.

"Don't worry, I am fine now." Harry said to her, as he walked to his throne and sat in it. "Infuriated, enraged and devoid of mercy, but I am fine, and without much time to waste. Carissa, how are the preparations coming along for the ball?" He suddenly asked of her.

"They were postponed in light of your condition." She reported to him. "Milord, I believe I speak for everyone when I ask you, if it was wise not agrees to their deal?"

"Carissa, it would've been foolish of me to have agreed with it, and I would be betraying not only myself, but also betraying the memory of my grandparents, Nymphadora and the interests of House Le Fay." Harry replied, his voice barely betraying the sorrow at the mention of Nym. "Now, I want the preparations to be finished first thing in the morning. Use whatever means necessary, but get it done. I want the vine flow to red and music to play loud, and show everyone just what House Le Fay really looks like. And make sure that guards stand in a parade uniforms, show off their grace, discipline and all in between, make the Wizarding Nobility swoon at their sight if need be. Am I understood?"

"Yes, milord." Carissa bowed a little and went on with her duties.

"Irene, contact Ragnok and arrange a meeting with him in an hour. Make sure that brings all the accounts concerning Houses Peverell, Potter and Fleamont, along with all the legal documentation concerning the Lordships of Potter and Peverell. Inform him that I want him to seize loaning and begin extracting money from Lord and Lady Fleamont. After that, find out everything about the Phoenixes and how to block and disable their teloprtation, and set up all the necessary precautions for the future." Harry commanded to Irene, with her nodding and disappearing.

"Neriada, Skadhi, inform the rest of the Council that there will be an emergency meeting in three hours, concerning the magical races. Tracey, inform Lord Greengrass that if he is available, I shall speak with him in private right after the Council." They nodded to him and went on ahead. "Regulus, what steps have been taken in investigations of the deaths of Nym and Kingsley?"

"None, the Minister has been putting a stop to that one and has refused to even speak of their deaths. According to Bones, he is afraid that the deaths of two highly decorated Aurors would jeopardize his chances on elections." Regulus didn't hide the disgust in his voice. "You want to meet Bones and discuss it with her, because she would very much like to have that meeting."

"So do I, and as soon as possible. If she is available in 8 PM local time, I'll be more than happy to start dismantling the Order. We were fools to have allowed them to go on for so long, without seizing what we already knew and using it to bring them down. Time to remedy that mistake." Regulus smirked to him gladly and went on ahead with the plan. "Cassiopeia, tell Arcturus that I am well and will meet him at the time of his choosing tomorrow, and inform him about the role that James had played in deaths of our family."

"With pleasure." She took her leave.

"I assume you will want me to help me out with finding a way into Hogwarts for you, won't you?" Rias asked of Harry, who simply gave her the look, before she chuckled and spoke up. "I will let you know when I find something."

"Thank you, Rias." She simply nodded to him and left.

"And… What would like of me, since you seem to be in the mood for giving orders around?" Rose asked of him.

"You've held House Le Fay and our position strong, and for that I am most grateful, Rose. I'll have a few words with Bones and arrange the early examination for you, but do please be ready to depart with me for Gringotts." Rose smiled to him and nodded to him, before leaving.

"As for you, Bellatrix, I want you to tell me _every single thing_ you know about Death Eaters and what James has done." Harry asked of her, with her nodding to him and beginning to talk.

He awoke from slumber a new man, a different man. Harry Potter had allowed his pettiness and arrogance get the better of him, when he could've struck strong and hard agaisnt his enemies. He couldn't allow such attitude continue, not anymore and never again.

Harry Potter had died in that mansion, burned away and swept away with ashes by wind.

Henry Le Fay was born today in his place.

* * *

**Short, but right to the point, just the way I actually like it. Hope you enjoyed it, and I thank my reviewers for your feedback and opinions, which had paid a key part in this chapter. Now, onto some explaining.  
**

**1\. Rose taking control. As an immediate Heiress of Harry, it is only logical that Rose would be prepared, at least in the of immediate and extreme need. And let's not forget, that she had spent two years in company of Cassiopeia and Arcturus Black, both of whom are authoritative and capable persons in their own right. It was logical for Rose to have learned more than one or two things from them.**

**2\. Harry and Rose's Demonic blood. Yes, Cassiopeia had used Irene's blood, altered up by the Philosopher's Stone to match that of Harry and Rose, to heal them both. As it had been established before, Devils, such as Irene, possess a far greater level of magical prowess and physical capabilities than regular Wizards and Witches. Now, both Harry and Rose aren't even a quarter Devils and are largely still humans, but with greater level of power and slightly enhanced physical capabilities than that of regular humans. As for why Harry's eye turned blue instead of green, that's because he holds in him blood of Morgana, due to the blood and magic adoption, hence why the regeneration done it so.**

**Leave a review, suggestion, quesion- you know the drill.**

**Next time: Ministry's Ball; Fall and Rise of House of Potter; Hunt for Phoenix begins.  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**August the 20****th****. Albion's Hearth.**

The throne room was filled to the brim with the guests of Wizarding Society and Nobility, all dressed in their most elegant dresses, robes and whatever attire they considered to be appropriate for the occasion. Decorations were all in place, food served on the numerous tables, music played loud and harmoniously, while servants served the very best of wines that elves could provide to quench the thirst of the guests. Numerous chatters were heard among the guests, many of which spoke in great detail about the accommodations that House Le Fay is providing for this year's Ministry's Anniversary.

Along with that, many spoke of the near extraordinaire scale of the festivities, all organized by Prince Le Fay. And among these amazed and astonished talks, Henry could clearly hear plotting, scheming, jealousy and envy from those that would want nothing more than to bring his House to ruin. He wasn't all too surprised to hear such kind of talk, provided to him by his strengthened link to Le Fay's Family Magic, which permeated the very floor, walls and stone in this castle, allowing Henry to hear and sense what is going on in any location within this castle's territory.

Quite a handy ability, considering that practically the entirety of the Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters were all assembled in here, all posing as guests and making sure to keep their schemes to themselves. Unfortunately for them, that didn't save them from being exposed, and even without this ability, there would hardly be any breathing space for any kind of altercations to occur.

The guests, along with the Order, Death Eaters and even Ministry, may not realize it, but every waiter and servant in the room, all of whom were of High or Night Elven races, were all armed, excellently trained and prepared to act without hesitation. Along with that, a great number of Night Elven warriors and mages were also positioned in the Castle, hidden in multiple chambers and rooms, also armed and ready. Add to that Irene's presence in the throne room, many prepared charms, hexes, curses and wards in the throne room, also tied up to the signal of the Prince, it wasn't too far-fetched to say Henry Le Fay has taken practically every precaution he could think of. In fact, had he wanted to, he could've easily literally destroyed the majority of Magical Britain's Wizarding Nobility, most members of Order of Phoenix and Death Eaters, not to mention Dumbledore, Potters, Weasleys and many others.

The thought had crossed his mind more than once throughout the night, but he pushed it back for another time, instead focusing upon his current conversation with Minister Fudge, Amelia Bones, Lucius Malfoy and Albus Dumbledore. Needless to say, that it was taxing just to stand the presence of Chief Warlock of Wizengamot near him and speaking like they were oldest friends. However, what was even more infuriating than that was Fudge acting like nothing had ever happened between him and Albus, not to mention talking with him like they were the best of friends.

A single look from Amelia told Henry everything he needed to know: Dumbledore had managed to sneak his way into Fudge's heart again and take a hold of him. That would explain why the Minister was now postponing the investigation into Dumbledore, not to mention not giving the green light investigation of deaths of Kingsley and Nymphadora. If Henry had to guess, Dumbledore had either bribed the man, used some sort of blackmail on him, or simply charmed him up, probably with _Imperious _Curse involved. At this point, Henry wouldn't be surprised if all three were true at the same time.

Fortunately enough, the time for the grand speech from the Minister has come, and Henry could quietly take his leave. While Fudge was rising onto the podium under the applause of the public, Henry had managed to find himself near Lord David Greengrass and his wife Lady Charlotte and their daughter Daphne, accompanied by Tracey.

"Milord, ladies." Henry bowed to them in greeting, with them answering to with the same gesture. "My apologies for the late greeting. Minister and Chief Warlock have kept me quite occupied with their discussions."

"Yes, it was hard to miss, Your Highness." David noted, as Fudge began his usual speech, while the group quietly continued their discussions. "The laughter of our 'illustrious' Minister must've been heard in London. I wonder, what kind of a jokes you told him to make him laugh like that."

"You and me both, Lord Greengrass." That earned Henry a few chuckles from the Greengrasses. "I assume the issue that we've discussed earlier has been taken care of, milord?"

"Yes, all has been arranged and will be ready shortly. I believe that tomorrow morning we'll see the first results." Lady Greengrass spoke up. "Although I can't help but wonder, how did happen to have come by such an information, Your Highness? It is no secret to most of us here that there are secret societies all around us, but a conspiracy on such a level and scale, not to mention the list of illegal activities and connections? Forgive me if I find myself slightly… cautious with what you had tasked us with."

"Lady Greengrass, as I have assured you and your husband earlier, there is nothing for you to be afraid of. If anything happens, there will be most severe consequences for anyone that dares to try to harm you." Henry assured them. "I believe my record speaks for itself, if one were to remember the Acromantula, or our good friend Lord Jones."

"A shame that he has declined his invitation. I hear that he has suddenly taken ill or something like that. Quite an interesting coincidence, wouldn't you agree, Your Highness." The blond haired beauty with green eyes that was Daphne Greengrass noted in a slightly amused tone. "Would you care for a dance after the speech, Your Highness? My dear Tracey here has been telling me all about your expertise in the art. I am inclined to put your skills to the test, if you will let me."

"Only if Lady Davis wouldn't object…" Tracey simply nodded to him with a small smile. "Then I see no reason to refuse, milady."

"I would be careful if I were you, Your Highness. Our Daphne takes after her mother, and she has left me out of breath more times than I can count when we danced." David chuckled a little, while Elena shook her head a little. "Well, in any case, after Daphne is done with you, milord, I would like to introduce you to some of my friends that were interested in making your acquaintance, if you would permit."

"Lord Greengrass, you sound as if I've already been defeated by your daughter. She may've left all her other partners breathless before, but I believe my chances of tiring her are quite high." Henry spoke up with a chuckle. "And as for those friends you've mentioned, I'll be happy to meet them, but I also can't help but notice that you are not here in full number. Did your youngest take ill?"

"Oh no, Astoria is currently in France, visiting my parents, Lord and Lady Dunois. She wished to thank you for the present you've sent her on her birthday and apologizes for not making her appearance here. Our dear Tori seem to have grown quite fond of Aquitaine and its weather, not to mention France in general." Charlotte informed Henry. "We are considering a possibility of having her to transfer to France's Magical Academy and finishing her education there, instead of Hogwarts. I may be biased and partial, but as a mother, I believe it would be best for her, while my dear husband here believes that Hogwarts is sufficient enough as it is for our daughter."

"And it is." David stated with a bit of strength. "My apologies, Your Highness. It wasn't _our _intention to bring our household's matters to your attention."

"Hm, as a matter of a fact, I believe that I am siding with your dear wife in this matter, Lord Greengrass. From what I've learned from Rose, Tracey and other sources of information, Hogwarts seem to have lost its position as world's best magical school, along with being the safest place in all of Britain. What with Acromantulas in the Forbidden Forest and a millennia old Basilisk lurking in the Chamber of Secrets, just to recall a few instances when students were endangered." Henry told them. "If I were in the place of your wife, I wouldn't allow my child anywhere near that place, at least until it has been thoroughly and methodically examined and deemed safe for students. A shame that our Minister does not share my point of view on the subject." Henry looked at the still speaking Fudge, paying no mind to his speech.

"Not to mention that our Chief Warlock seems to be of the same mind as our Minister. How ironic that he also happens to be the Headmaster of Hogwarts, isn't it?" Daphne noted again, as she took a sip of her drink. "It's almost as if Professor Dumbledore has some kind of dark secret within the walls of Hogwarts that he doesn't want to be revealed. Wouldn't be the first time he had secretly placed something within those walls, if one were to remember that story about the Philosopher's Stone, which happens to still be missing and not found yet. Perhaps good Professor has decided to keep him as a souvenir and forgot to tell everyone else about it?"

"Possibly, what with his advance old age he may've simply never even considered the option and assumed that all already knew of it and agreed to let him keep it." Tracey supported, as the guests applauded to Fudge, as he ended his speech, before the dance was starting. "Well, I believe that you, Your Highness, owe Lady Daphne here a dance, as you've agreed."

"Indeed I do. Milady." Henry offered Daphne a hand and she took it, as they took the center of the room and Henry laid his hand on Daphne's waste and they began to dance. "Your father wasn't lying, when he said that you move with a grace befitting of a princess."

"And Tracey wasn't lying when she said that you have changed a great deal since we last met, Harry." Daphne suddenly told him, but quite enough so that only the two of them could hear it, as they never broke their dance. "And I don't mean just your hair. For instance, you finally learned how to find your way into people's hearts without ripping their ribcage open."

"And you still retain that infamous bluntness of yours, Slytherin's Ice Queen." Harry chuckled a little, with Daphne stepping on to his toe as the result. "Careful, we wouldn't want to give away the impression that you've missed your step in a dance. After all, Daphne Greengrass _never _misses, right?"

"Correct." Daphne said, as they moved on in the dance. "You don't seem to be all that surprised. Aren't you one bit curious of how did I manage to find out who you are?"

"Not really, I already have an idea or two of how you've figured out who I am, and all are related to Tracey and Rose. And given the fact of your being one of the smartest witches of our generation, according to some, it would've been an insulting for you to not have figured out the truth." Harry told her. "What I am curious and slightly surprised about is that you don't seem to have told your parents about who I am. I suppose it would be too much to ask why you haven't told them."

"Well, first of all, I wasn't one hundred percent sure, but now that you have confirmed it, I am absolutely sure of who you are." Daphne flashed him a small mischievous grin, with Harry responding with a slight tick of a brow. "Second reason, is that I believe that I was doing my House a favor by not revealing this information. I do still remember your volatile reaction when someone was poking their nose in your business, and given how Rose had handled Lord Jones, I've decided to keep quiet for the time being, lest we ended up with something worse than a slap on the wrist."

"A smart move, but why reveal it all to me now?" Harry asked of her, as they continued on, ignoring the attention of some of the public. "The information like that could be a golden mine of opportunities for your House to exploit, if handled correctly, and yet you tell me all of this now, right in my face. I can think of at least half a dozen people that would pay good deal of money for what you know."

"Oh, please. I am not as petty as to want money, when my family is the 5th richest in England." Daphne nearly scoffed at what Harry implied. "What I want, however, is to secure and strengthen the position of my House, and seeing as my father had already pledged himself as a vassal to you, I have to go along with this course of action, though it is the best possible position for us, from where I see it."

"And what do you have in mind for strengthening the position of your House and how does it involve me?" Harry asked her directly.

"Your House and you personally hold loyalty of practically all of magical races in England and the riches House in the world, not to mention you being Lord Slytherin of all things, but you also lack strong ties with the magical nobility of Europe and England. Something that my House has not shortage of." Daphne informed him. "As you must've noticed, my family is without a male heir, and there is a significant threat to House Greengrass, if wrong contracts were made and wrong diplomatic alliances were forged. As the Heiress, I wouldn't see my House fall simply because my father and mother decide to marry to an overly ambitious Lord or his son, who would want to have our offspring to carry on their name instead of mine. But, if a marriage contract was achieved on my terms and with a man that I could certainly work with…"

"You were never one to miss an opportunity, Daphne, but this time you've actually surprised me." Harry noted to her, as they were moving into the final phase of the dancing. "You wish to form a matrilineal marriage with me, so as to ensure that the children we have will bear the name of Greengrass. In exchange, I will have a much better standing with the nobility of Europe and England, along with more trust from them, while your House gets to be allied with House Le Fay in not just oaths, but also blood, not to mention that the children would also have a claim to the title. Did I miss anything?"

"Not much, but there are some moments that while appeal to me I had to rethink so as to not draw out your ire and make it work." Daphne informed him. "It's clear to me that as Prince Le Fay, you will exclude any and all possibility of a civil war over titles between your children, and I can respect that, not to mention that you have two more House to repopulate, with Slytherin and Gaunt respectably. So I propose you this condition: I shall take the title of Lady Slytherin, and our firstborn will be the Heir of Slytherin, but our second child will be Heir of Greengrass, and should there be more than two children, we'll divide the rights to prevent strife, but also to preserve the lines. Does that sound appealing enough?"

"Almost, but I do have a question." Harry stated to her. "From the sound of it all, you have been thinking about this for a long time. Why do you make up such conditions, when you could probably achieve more than that and leave me without much in return, not to mention make sure that your family is safe and sound?"

"I must say, that this paranoia of yours is almost refreshing, Harry. It's probably one of the things I missed." Daphne chuckled. "Very well, if you insist on knowing, I will tell you. It was no secret to anyone that you weren't going to be inheriting any titles or fortunes from your parents, but you were still a member of prestigious and powerful House, not to mention one with brain and great deal of power and talent. You would've been a valuable asset to any House, and I knew it, not to mention that I have no intention of marrying someone who wasn't able to stand as my equal, and so I was already planning on having my father ensure, that you were to end up with me instead of someone like Ginny Weasley on a whim of your idiotic parents."

"And weren't you concerned about hurting the feelings of Tracey? Despite that cold exterior of yours, I know that you do have a heart and feelings, and it isn't your memo to betray your friends, especially when they are in short supply." Harry said told her.

"Please, Harry, I may strictly about practicality and profit, but I am not as heartless as to take you away from Tracey. Had all gone as I planned, we would've been married officially, while you and Tracey would've continued on with your relationship. All you would've been forced to do is be my advisor, play the part of a husband and provide me with a child or two." Daphne simply stated to him. "I know that it sounds somewhat horrible to your ear, but considering your options back then, this would've been a golden opportunity. I would've been _very_ lenient on you, allow you to be with whom you wanted, even allow Rose to live with us, and all for what I believe you would've been able to accomplish. Plus… I would be lying if I said that I wasn't interested in you as a beautiful and ambitious witch can become interested in an attractive, strong-willed and roguish wizard like you." She gave him a sultry look, licking her upper lip for the split second, trying to throw him off.

If she had succeeded, then Daphne couldn't have known about it, as Harry hasn't showed it to her. Nor would he admit that she did succeed in doing so, but only for the fraction of a second, as Harry's mind rebooted back and started to analyze what Daphne had offered to him. He wasn't happy with the fact that Daphne had discovered who he was and has tricked him into confirming it, but then again, it wasn't all that surprising.

He may've had a poor opinion regarding most of the Slytherins of his generation, but Daphne was one of the exceptions, as she was as clever and smart as she was beautiful and ruthlessly practical. Such a pragmatic view on life had made her known as an Ice Queen of Hogwarts, an image that Daphne had definitely made sure to keep up, according to Tracey. It was no secret to anyone that in the field of studies and marks, Harry and Daphne were rivals and that there was no friendship to be found between them. They've respected each other, sure, but there was nothing that would indicate that there was any form attraction between the two, so finding out that Daphne was interested in him in such a way was most certainly surprising for Harry, to say the least. Perhaps he had forgotten that underneath the ruthless calculus and pragmatism, there is still a breathing and feeling woman.

Harry had considered the offer Daphne has made to him, and from where he stood, it was very good deal. He needed to establish stronger connections with other Houses, and House of Greengrass was one of those Houses that had friends in every camp and sphere of life. This House had a number of allies and relatives in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany and in the Americas, not to mention that the freshly elected French Minister for Magic, Andre Dunois, was an older brother to Lady Greengrass and had a very strong influence in the ICW. An alliance with a House like that was a golden opportunity that Henry Le Fay couldn't pass, and from where he stood, there were far worse witches to be betrothed to.

And Daphne was certainly one beautiful witch, with her long golden hair, green emerald eyes and figure that could drive men wild with lust. She wasn't just smart, but brilliant in her own right, and knew the boundaries of the marriage if they've decided to have one. This meant that there wouldn't be as much conflict as one would think. Combine that with what she was offering from her family, and Henry was prepared to agree, until his heart had yoked a little, as if reminding him of Nym.

Just because he had awakened and healed up, didn't mean that he had let go of what had happened and was fully able to move on. No, he most certainly wasn't, as the image of Nym still was with him in his heart and mind, along with the last memory of her being alive. Those memories hurt like a blade through his ribs, and they came to him often enough, even if he didn't let it show. He had loved Nym, loved more than anyone else, and he had been prepared to propose to her. And now, here he was, considering not courting or dating, but straight up marriage to another. In his mind, Harry knew that this was mostly a formality made to ensure his positions, but his heart…

His heart had considered this as a betrayal of his beloved, and it hurt in his heart and gut. However, if he was to achieve his goals, to make House Le Fay powerful and prosperous, not to mention ensure its continuous survival, he would have to put aside his turmoil and focus on what was best for the House. Even if it meant betraying the memory of his beloved.

As the dance ended and the dancing partners all bowed to each other, Harry offered Daphne his hand and spoke up.

"We best work out some moments of this deal, if we are to have a productive marriage." Harry said to her, with Daphne clearly looking pleased. "Would you and your parents meet with me the day after tomorrow to confirm it all in the official way, while I make some arrangements?"

"We certainly will, and I'll tell Tracey that you are on board." On that Harry could only chuckle. "And I want you to know that I do not intend to steal you away all for myself. I know you and Tracey love each other, and I know about what happened with Nymphadora Tonks. I won't ask you to forget her for me, only… Only that you don't make it hard on both of us."

"I'll try, that is all I can offer you." Harry told her, with Daphne nodding to him.

"I wouldn't ask more of you, Harry. And thank you." She was sincere in her words to him, as she let out a sigh of relief. "Looks like you were indeed able to leave me out of breath, Your Highness."

"It would appear so, Lady Daphne." And the two once more had slipped into their respective roles once again as they went to the guests.

* * *

On the other side of the ballroom, Rose mingled among some of the noble ladies and their daughters, talking to them in the same manner as they, projecting the image of a noble woman of good upbringing and lineage as they all had tried to do. And practically no one could tell, that behind the warm smile and sweet words laid a deep and seething hatred for many of these same noble ladies and their daughters. Rose had a very good memory, and she remembered how she had been laughed at and made a laughing stock by these same women that now chatted with her as they were best friends all their lives. She could still recall how Lily Potter was making fun of Rose while she was having saloons with her friends, and Rose still remembers how that laughter had hurt her ears, just as it does now.

But, as an Heiress of House Le Fay and a member of said House, there were certain standards to which she had to adhere and there was no changing that. If she was completely honest with herself, Rose had hated such kinds of gatherings, with all the glittering jewels, sickeningly nice looking smiles and all this posturing. She had long developed not just a distaste, but a full on despise of all this society and it's posturing, having been on the receiving end of the cruel and utterly inhumane treatment of this society. Glamour and glitter had long since stopped blinding Rose and she wished that _anyone _would finally pull her away, lest she is forced to make another remark about something she has no idea about.

"And have seen what Minister's wife is wearing today? I had seen House Elves dress better than that monstrosity." One of the ladies laughed, quickly followed by the entire group, safe for Rose. "My dear Rose, don't you find that attire atrocious? I mean, it is so out of date and so out of touch with modern tastes."

"I believe that anyone has her or his own tastes, and I am not one to judge people upon them." Rose sternly replied, surprising the ladies around her, while she had downed a glass of Elven Spring Wine. "I find such discussions to be petty and needlessly droning."

"My dear, you sound far too mature for your young age. If you do not loosen up a little bit, your hair will go gray before you…" Another one of the ladies, whose name Rose had forgotten to ask, spoke carelessly before stopping herself.

"I believe that I have already noticed that my hair lost its color, thank you." Rose coldly replied, before putting the empty glass down, before taking another one and walking away from them. "Pardon, but I shall take my leave. The air here seems to be too thick with loose tongues and foolishness for me to handle." She replied, before unceremoniously walking away from them, while catching another bit of their talks.

"You idiot, can't you keep your mouth shut?!"

"What was I supposed to tell her? Ugh, that uptight little bitch is so…"

"Quiet, you two fools! You want to have House Le Fay…" Rose didn't catch anymore as she had put a considerable distance.

"I was wondering when they would finally tire you with their insufferable ramblings." Rose turned to her right, to see Rias, dressed in red and golden colored dress, standing near her and smiling to her. "I've got to admit, that you've handled yourself far better than I did the first time. I ended the theater with a slap upon one of the more insufferably dumber ladies' face, forcing her to splash the wine all over my dress. Who would've thought that it would lead to another one House declaring a feud with my House? I certainly did not."

"Yeah, who would've?" Rose asked rhetorically. "So, how do you find the ball? Any potential conspirators to use agaisnt me and my brother in your bid to gain the House back?" Rose asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh the ball is a droll, same as all the other I have been before. Not much has changed since my times, though the food and refreshments have certainly improved beyond my imagination." Rias noted, as she took a sip of her red wine. "As for the conspirators, there is no shortage of those that would either love to see House Le Fay gone, subjugated or taken away from us. Not that I have any intention of letting them do so, and the last thing on my mind is betraying my house to any of them cravens in any form, direct or not. On that I swear with my magic." Golden aura showed to Rose that Rias was truthful to her.

"Sorry, I'm just…" Rose let out a tired sigh, with Rias coming close to her and putting a hand on her for support.

"No need for apologies, I know that this has been a very rough time for you, and I haven't made it any easier for you." Rias admitted to Rose, surprising her slightly. "I will admit that I am prideful and a bit selfish, can be full of myself and sound condescending, and along with being upset for with what had happened to me. And for that I do apologize for that and the part I took in hurting you and your brother."

"You weren't in control of your own actions. He and I know that, along with all others." Rose reminded to Rias, who nodded to her.

"I know, but I do want you to know that I wish us not to be enemies, and that I regret what I had done." Rias told her, before taking from Rose her drink. "Now, you may be old enough to drink wine, but Night Elven Moonlight Iris isn't a good option, when one is trying to relax a bit and calm the nerves, which you certainly need to. Servant." A House Elf immediately popped up. "Bring us two glasses of Sunshade, year 1910." House Elf bowed, disappeared, and materialized again with two glasses of golden wine in them.

Rose looked at her new drink, before shrugging and taking a small sip of the liquid, expecting it to be either sour or half-sweet and to warm up her quickly. Instead of that, Rose experienced a quiet warming feeling, soothing her mind and easing up her body and clearing up her thoughts of all those harlots and everything related to them. The taste was soft and sweet, soothing her throat and mouth, the sensation of calming made Rose close up her eyes and taking in the entire drink. Once it ended, Rose let out a sigh of satisfaction and relief, feeling refreshed and no longer as tense as she used to be. She looked with a surprise at Rias, who simply sipped her own wine and spoke up afterwards.

"The vast majority of people here are utter morons when it comes to choosing an Elven wine. They all think that they are just like human wines, only better, when they are not. Elven beverages can have a multitude of interesting traits to it, like with Sunshade working as a stress relief, while the Moonlight Iris you nearly drank has an effect of enhancing your senses and feelings, when in stronger dosage. One in your drink would've had an effect similar of euphoria on you. Elven women often use it to… enhance the pleasure for themselves and their partners." Rias gave out a chuckle. "Luckily, all of these people seem to be sticking to Red and White Rose Wines, the most common of Elven wines, and their cheapest products."

"Hm, I could get used to this Sunshade." Rose smiled a little to Rias. "Thanks, I really needed that one. It's strange though, I feel like as clear minded as before I even touched the wine."

"You are welcome. And like I said, Elven wines are different from human wines, so different effects. Sunshade is often used as a hangover cure, if you are curious. And from what I saw, the cellars are full of all kinds of best wines the Elves could make." Rias noted out to her, downing her own drink. "So, you are going through with that decision of not going to Hogwarts, aren't you?"

"Yes. I see no reason why I should be going back to that place when I've learned everything under Cassiopeia in under two years." Rose said to her. "After what has happened to Nym and with me in my first year… I can't help but feel like something will happen to me once I get there, and with Dark Lord out and Dumbledore in charge, I can tell that within a week I set foot in Hogwarts, I'll be dosed with Veritaserum and then used as a hostage. No, best I stay here and find something useful to do."

"Hm, I might have a proposal for you, if you are interested." Rias said. "I've talked with my mother, and she told me that after your treatment, your powers had greatly increased from before, and that you seem to have difficulties with controlling it. If you like, I wouldn't object to training you in controlling your new powers. I could teach you to use them just as well as you use wand, not to mention that it would only make your spells much more potent and stronger."

"Well, I did have some problem in controlling my power output and my spells did have something of a devastating effect, but what's in it for you?" Rose asked of Rias. "Forgive me for skepticism, but I don't trust people who are doing something just out of the kindness of their hearts."

"And I am pursuing purely selfish reasons." Rias chuckled to Rose. "My goal, Rose, is to make sure that House Le Fay stands strong and united, and from where I see it, I best integrate into your life comfortably for all parties involved. So you may consider this offer of mine as a first step to creating the bridges, so to speak. That and I may simply be interested in making friends with you and your brother."

"Really?" Rose asked of her, with Rias looking at her with a small smile.

"Really." Rias replied to her, as she took two glasses of another sort of Elven wine, giving one to Rose. "You really should try this one. It's called Winter's Solstice. Quite a delicate drink." Rias smiled to her again, taking a sip, with Rose doing the same, savoring the taste.

"You are right, it is quite a delicacy." Rose chuckled to Rias.

"Oi, look there! It's Rose!" Suddenly, Rose and Rias heard an obnoxious voice of a boy that was all too familiar to Rose.

And while the attention of most of the crowd was averted to their own business, a small group of gingers made their way to Rose, and Heiress Le Fay was forced to witness the arrival of Molly Weasley, along with her husband, daughter and youngest son. Ron and Ginny looked somewhat furious, while also seemingly full of themselves, while Arthur wished he was somewhere else. Molly Weasley, meanwhile, looked like she was ready to murder Rose and had barely restrained herself from clutching her hands around Rose's throat.

It seemed like the matriarch and her children had one too many of the glasses of Elven wine, or drank one that seemed to have let go of their restraints, if they had any to begin with. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Rose downed her drink before putting it down on the table and spoke up.

"Lord and Lady Weasley, something I can help you with?" Rose decided to maintain a neutral tone, despite the very sight of the family repulsing her.

"Oh yes, you little spoiled brat, you could help us with something." Molly practically hissed at the girl. "You could. No, you _must_ do your damned duty to our family and repay us for all the good we did to you!"

"And what good did you and your… family has done for me, exactly?" Rose asked of Molly.

"We've treated you as if you were one of us, and we were even ready to make you one of us, had you not run away like a crying little bitch you!" Ron shouted at her, drawing attention of the room to them. "You should've just gone and died, if you weren't going to marry me! You are just one spoiled lying little…"

"Ron, stop it right now! You are making a scene and…" Arthur tried to stop his son, but then his daughter had the bright idea to speak up.

"Why should we stop? This bitch had done wrong to us by not staying and becoming Ron's wife. She has to do right and help us out, if she wants to do right, especially after she made us all look like we are dirt on the road." Ginny Weasley arrogantly stated out loud, with Rose seemingly not even phased.

"I wasn't even trying, to be quite honest with you. You were belittling yourself quite well enough without my help." Rose responded to them. "Now, be kind to remove yourself out of my home at once. You've overstayed your welcome." Rose stated with ice, before turning away from them, only to be grabbed by Molly forcefully.

"Listen here, you spoiled little whore. You were meant to marry into my family, and you will do so! Just because that dumb bitch Lily couldn't keep you on a tighter leash doesn't mean you get to walk away from your responsibilities. So, either you do as you were commanded or…" Molly didn't care for the fact that the crowd was looking at her as if she was a lunatic, or whom she was threatening.

"Or you will do what, exactly?" Rias finally spoke up, using her magic to release Rose from the grip of Molly by literally pushing her away from the girl. "You and your ragged spawn are clearly too drunk to even think straight. The Princess Le Fay had ordered you to remove yourselves, yet you go and grab her like she was some common thief? That's some gall if I've seen one."

"Just who in Merlin's name are you to…" Molly was about to shout at Rias, before she and her children had suddenly disappeared right in front of all the guests.

"We don't need to hear that harpy's ravings anymore." Rias simply surmised, as magic dissipated from her hand, before she turned to look at shocked Arthur Weasley. "I assume that those were your wife and children? You will find them in a small river, about 50 miles north of here. They clearly needed to cool their heads, and were in desperate need of a bathing, so I suggest you make yourself scarce, until Nymphs find them and decide to do away with the intruders. And they have a pretty simple policy regarding that, _lethally_ simple." The implication was more than enough for Arthur to understand that he best be off.

"Was that some kind of a forced teleportation, like apparition?" Rose asked of Rias, who had a bit of mischievous look to her.

"If you are interested to learn in great detail, you know where to find me, don't you?" Rias asked of her with a hint, with Rose chuckling to her at that one.

* * *

On the other end of the ball, Henry watched what was happening and the resolution of the situation. He let out a satisfied huff, as he turned to the table and took another drink. Before he could even savor it, he saw Amelia Bones making way to him, seemingly to take her own drink. Once she had one in her hand and a sip in her mouth, she spoke up.

"Fudge won't budge. He won't give a go to any form of investigation. Not only that, but he has ordered me to stop the internal investigation I have been working on for months now." Amelia informed Henry. "Dumbledore must've grabbed him by his bloody balls if he is so determined to see any and all of my investigations in regards to Dumbledore stopped. Either that, or he is under some kind of an influence charm or potion."

"Could be so, but it doesn't matter, not anymore." Henry informed Amelia, who looked at him with curiosity. "The preparations are complete on my end, so you should have a full carte blanche tomorrow. Do you have the manpower needed?"

"I do, though I wouldn't mind a little bit of help." Amelia sighed, with Henry nodded to her.

"Tell me what you need, and I'll see what I can provide you with." Henry said to her, taking a sip of his drink. "But overall, will the Aurors and Hit Wizards you have already be enough?"

"Yeah, we'll have the situation under control quickly, but Minister now is the wild card. If doesn't go along with the plan…"

"Then he'll have to retire earlier than he planned." Henry stated with indifference to Amelia. "Probably will be even better that way, since it is clear that Fudge is hardly reliable to do anything but smile and wave on the camera. If we don't do away with him, either Dumbledore or Riddle will and get their own men on the job. Best we eliminate him quickly."

"I seem to recall you spending some time and effort in worming your way into Fudge's heart. Are you really prepared to throw him away just like that, after investing such an effort into becoming his friend?" Amelia asked of him with some amazement.

"The old me would've played with this idiot, but now, after Nym… The Ministry, as well as Magical Britain, will be far better off when a strong and decisive Minister takes charge, instead of this idiot. The longer he is in office, the higher the chances that Magical Britain will be engulfed in another Magical War." Harry downed his drink, before turning to look Amelia right in the eyes. "Tell me, would you _really_ follow that man, after he has obstructed you from obtaining justice for the deaths of two loyal Aurors? Does the man, that doesn't care for justice, safety of Magical Britain, and is more interested in posing to cameras like a prostitute to clients, deserve to hold the office?"

"Of course not." Amelia replied with a bit of anger. "However, I want to know if you are really prepared to do this just out of revenge for what they did with Nym, or you really mean to make things better."

"One does not obstruct the other." Harry simply stated to her, before he and Amelia started to see the crowd making way closer to the entrance into the castle, drawing his interest. "Hm, looks like the real fun has finally arrived." Before Amelia could ask, Carissa made her way to Henry and spoke up.

"Your Highness, there is an armed delegation of Goblins, standing right at the entrance in to the castle. Their leader, Ragnok, Head of the Gringotts Bank, demands to see you at once, or he will force his way in." Carissa informed him, with Harry putting down the drink and straightening his attire.

"Well, best not keep the honored Goblins waiting then. Lead the way." Harry and Carissa departed to the entrance.

Even though there was quite a crowd in front of them, Carissa had cleared the way for Henry to follow, and soon enough, they had reached their destination. Henry wasn't all that surprised to see right outside the doors of his castle what looked like a fully armed company of Goblins, led by his personal accountant, holding a black parchment in his hands. All that stopped him were 10 armed Night Elven Guards, armored and armed with swords and assault rifles of their own making, prepared to point them at the Goblins and open fire if needed. Before Henry could say a word, Fudge literally barged through the crowd and shouted at the unexpected guests.

"What is the meaning of this? You, Goblin, how dare you to interrupt this ball?!" Fudge demanded to know. "Don't you know that this is the Ministry's Anniversary Ball, and no one had invited your kind on these festivities? Be gone, before I order these guards to deal with you and your wretched companions…"

"Minister, since I am the host of this ball, please allow me to handle this." Henry took the word, before turning to Ragnok and speaking to him in a more diplomatic way. "Ragnok, I was not expecting you to be arriving, much less in such a memorable fashion."

"Prince Le Fay, a thousand apologies for any inconveniences we may've cause with our appearance, but there is a matter of national importance for both Goblin Nation and Magical Britain, that needs to be resolved as soon as possible." Ragnok spoke to him. "All I require is a passage into your House and a small amount of time to conduct my business. After that I shall be gone and you may resume your festivities."

"A matter of such importance… Very well, I am sure that we will accommodate your request, but I do feel that you would better leave your entourage outside." Henry advised the Goblin, who nodded to him, while he signaled the guards to let him through. "Now, is there anything I can help you with in this quest of yours?"

"Yes, if you could locate your sister, Lady Rose Le Fay, along with members of House Potter, it would expedite my work considerably." Ragnok told him, with Henry nodding to him and ordering to find the said people.

Within a minute, Rose stood at her brother's side, while members of House Potter, James, Lily and William, stood right in front of Ragnok, while the entire room had their eyes on them all. Once the needed people were found, and ignoring scowls coming from Potters, Ragnok spoke up.

"James Fleamont Potter, Freya Lily Potter, William Fleamont Potter, it has been discovered by Gringotts Bank, that you have violated the Magical Code of House Potter, while continuing to utilize the resources of Houses Potter and Peverell. Furthermore, you have bribed and corrupted an accountant of Houses Potter and Peverell, in order to prevent Henry James Potter, official and legal Head of Houses Potter and Peverell, now dead, from being informed of his status, along with denying him his rights as a Lord and betraying him. In light of these crimes, the Goblin Nation and Gringotts Bank have terminated all of your accounts and access to your belongings in them. Your Fleamont House's account money shall be distributed between accounts of House Potter and Peverell to cover your withdrawals from those accounts. A number of your material possessions outside of Gringotts Bank will also be exempt from you to cover the withdrawals you have made." The crowd and Potters stood stunned. "Furthermore, in light of your violation of Magical Code of House Potter, you, as well as all of your possible descendants no longer hold any rights to the Houses of Potter and Peverell. The rights of Head of the House of Potter and House of Peverell, along with the access to the accounts, have been effectively transferred to the new holder of titles."

The Potters, as well as many, stood there simply too stunned and shocked to say anything. In a span of a single minute, the mighty and dignified House of Potter, led by James Potter, had been utterly and decisively destroyed, brought to ruin by Ragnok. There were those that didn't want to believe what they had heard, but there were none that would even dare to object the word of Ragnok. In matters of inheritance, banking and accounts, as well as Magical Codes, Goblins held the absolute authority, something that not even Ministry could challenge.

And so, in one fell swoop, the entirety of House of Potter had been left destitute and nameless, without any dignity and honor, right in front of the entirety of Magical Nobility and Ministry. The former Potters couldn't even utter a word of protest, nor could they effectively comprehend what had just happened. Ragnok, in the meantime, simply moved on with his job, stepping in front of Rose and speaking to her.

"Lady Rose Morgana Le Fay, it is my pleasure and honor to inform you, that as of this day, you have been officially recognized and acknowledged by Gringotts Bank and Goblin Nation as Head of House Potter and Head of House Peverell. This document is the official acknowledgement of said act and full review of your possessions. Due to the incompetence and failure of House Potter's accountant, I have taken it upon myself to handle your accounts. We are looking forward to working with you, Lady Potter-Peverell." Ragnok smiled to her, before bowing to her.

"As do I, Mr. Ragnok, and I thank you for bringing me this news." Rose accepted the document and bowed to him herself.

And as the general public reeled from what had just transpired, Henry looked at the defeated face of Dumbledore, savoring the look on it and taking in the feeling. And what made the feeling of victory even more satisfying was the knowledge of the fact that this little charade was just the beginning.

The real disaster will strike tomorrow.

* * *

**Next morning.**

The House Elves were done with the cleaning up after the ball, one which will not be forgotten any time soon. Right after Rose had been announced as Lady Potter-Peverell, former Potters had finally came to their senses and had tried to practically kill her for what had happened. A poor decision, as the second later, they were forcefully removed via teleportation by Irene and Rias, with the ball continuing, however awkward it had gone on. As for Henry himself, he was left satisfied with the ball, and as he sat for the breakfast in the dining room, he looked at the newspaper in front of him. Picking it up, he looked at the cover and smiled.

**CONSPIRACY, TREASON AND MURDER! **

**Ministry of Magic and Wizengamot have been compromised and infiltrated by a secret cabal, which has been operating since the mid-1970s. According to official Ministry's sources, this cabal is responsible for numerous crimes against Magical Britain, including blackmailing, kidnapping, assassinations, conspiring with anti-Ministry elements, and many other heinous crimes. The most recent one being killing two Aurors, Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had infiltrated this hostile group. It is known that the group consists of members from all spheres of society, including nobility, however that is not the most shocking revelation.**

**That honor goes to the identity of the leader of the so-called Order of Phoenix. His name is Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of Wizengamot and Headmaster of Hogwarts.**

Henry smiled at what he read, and took up the cup of tea and drank from it.

The war has officially kicked off.

* * *

**Next time: Order on the run; Dumbledore abandons Hogwarts; Voldemort's reaction.**

**PS: SlashFan2018, you mind explaining what the hell brought out that little review of yours the other day? I know that this is incredibly petty of me, but I would like to ask just why you posted it. Also, another one like that, I might start considering blocking you off, just like you did with me. See ya.**

**To all the rest of my readers, have a good day and pardon the message.**

**See you all next week.**


	19. Chapter 19

**August 21****st****. Ministry of Magic.**

It has been just five hours after the article about the Order of the Phoenix has been released, and in these tfive short hours, the entirety of the Magical Britain had been rocked to the core. This singular event has already proven to have consequences that will still be felt throughout Britain and even Europe for decades to come, as the article didn't just expose Dumbledore as a leader of essentially ant-Ministry cabal. No, it had also contained the key for Amelia Bones to launch her own campaign of capture and destruction of the Order. The scale of her actions already began to rival those of the witch hunts of long past times, and she was just starting.

Thanks to the information gathered not just by Tonks and Shacklebolt, but by also what she had learned from her husband Gabriel and her brother, Lord Bones, Amelia had the complete list of all and every member of this little cabal. And she wasted no time, sending out her cleaned up Auror Department, bolstered by loyal Hit Wizards, trained militia wizards prepared by Alastor Moody, and that's not to mention 200 fully armed and trained High Elven Witchers, specially trained warriors, best in dealing against Wizards and Witches. Amelia would have to thank Henry once she went to see him today for those fighters, as they've already rounded up 4 full Houses that had supported Dumbledore and were his indirect puppets, along with near 60 members of the Order.

While it may've seemed like the Order was a relatively small and closed up organization, which it was back in the past, this was no longer the case in the present. Dumbledore, along with Potters and many other Phoenix members, had used the time after the death of Voldemort and now to greatly expand and strengthen their position in the Magical Britain. Members, supporters, informants, sympathizers and more- numbering in hundreds in all spheres of magical society, with a sizable number of them serving in the Ministry.

Thanks to late Tonks' work, Amelia had uncovered that well over 40 Aurors were working on Dumbledore, either in secret, indirectly or directly, and that's not to mention over a hundred Hit Wizards and many other Ministry's branches. Some of them, those that weren't fully aware of them working on Dumbledore, as they were commanded by those that were directly under Dumbledore, had come to Bones and shared what they had known about their bosses, along with confirming their allegiance to the Ministry.

These, along with those that had long abandoned the Order's cause and were pressured into it, like Houses Longbottom, Patil, Abbott and others, were spared the worst of the witch hunts and had agreed to cooperate. In case of Francis Longbottom, a longtime friend of Amelia and her de-facto second-in-command, was more happy to help out in bringing down Dumbledore, having grown disillusioned with the work that the Order had done in the past, along with being haunted with the memories of the most vile and cruel crimes that were committed by him in name of Order. Amelia was well aware of those crimes, and she knew that Gabriel had also participated in the least savory actions of the Order against Death Eaters and their supporters, and having seen how it tormented her late husband and now torments Frank, allowed him to help her. And his help had been invaluable, as they were in her office, with Frank reporting the progress to her.

"439 arrested Wizards, with over 40 of them being of the noble birth and 188 being from the Ministry. That's just over five hours, and there are far more members and supporters whom we still search for." Frank reported to Amelia. "I personally expect at least the additional four hundred arrests by the noon time, and that's me being pragmatic. In all honesty, it will take us at least several weeks just to get _all_ of the members of the Order in Britain, and Dumbledore has made sure to web his net over as much of our society as he could. I doubt that even his current supporters know the full extent of his power and influence, and I doubt that late Shacklebolt's and Tonks' information was entirely accurate."

"The old bastard has been spreading his web for well over 20 years. With his resources, fame, abilities and positions, especially after the Magical War, he could've recruited a literal army of spies, collaborators and more." Amelia pointed out, looking at the map of the Magical Britain. "Something tells me that Dumbledore had been amassing all of this power and forces for more than just securing his and his allies' agendas and interests. Could he had possibly known about the return of Voldemort, or was he preparing to stage a coup agaisnt Ministry?"

"The former is more likely, in my mind. He could've taken over the Ministry _years_ ago, as he had been offered the position of Minister right after Bagnold resigned the office, but didn't. No, he was preparing for the Dark Lord's return, and didn't even warn anyone that the snake bastard had somehow managed to survive." Much like some of the more reasonable and clear headed Wizards, Lord Longbottom had already figured out that Voldemort was back. "But I wouldn't put it past Dumbledore to use this situation to subtly take over the Ministry, without alienating the majority of the people."

"I agree." Amelia nodded. "Now, what's the situation with the Noble Houses and those that come forth confessing? Also, what's the status of former Potters, Weasleys and Dumbledore in general?"

"There are over 76 Noble Houses that had supported Dumbledore politically and had some form of alignment to the Order, and 51 of those said Houses had come forth and surrendered to us. Most of them were with Dumbledore just because it was in their personal interests and provided them with what they needed: political influence, alliance with stronger Houses, etc." Frank informed her. "Of the 25 that hadn't come forth, 12 were already subdued and captured by either our Department, or by those Elven Witchers that Le Fay had sent us. If you don't mind me asking, how did you convince him to lend us a hand in this crisis, and in such a short notice?"

"Prince Le Fay and late Nymphadora Tonks were… involved with each other, and her death has had a very profound effect on his personal disposition, especially after I had informed him about the details of her death." Amelia lied to Frank, who believed her. "Let's just say that Prince Le Fay now has a very personal interest in cleaning up the mess caused by Dumbledore, and was more than eager to provide us with his troops. Official version for the public will be different, of course, so don't go around and tell everyone about it."

"You know me, Amelia. I'm not one to spew out secret information without care. Still, I am glad that we've got him on our side, and I'm even gladder that he isn't after my head." Frank admitted, before continuing. "Now, as for James, Lily, their brat and Weasleys, we've had far less success then I wish. We only got Arthur, who was one of the first we've managed to arrest, and his twin sons who came to us of their own accord and surrendered. Arthur's eldest, Bill, had moved to Canada about a month ago and had cut off his connection with his family. His employers, Canada's branch of Gringotts Bank, confirmed it. Percy is clean, as you know, but about all the rest of them, along with other 4 Noble Houses, we've been unable to reach them. They've managed to disappear before we were able to get to them, and we've got not much of free forces to search for them."

"Most, if not all of them, had certainly fled to Hogwarts, right to their master." Amelia spoke up. "With Dumbledore as the Headmaster there and Hogwarts' wards active still, those Houses, as well as any and all of those rats that we haven't caught would've retreated there or holed up somewhere safe. And what has been always taught to us in the childhood?"

"That there is no safer place than Hogwarts." Frank recalled. "If that is the case, then we have a problem. Those wards, not to mention such a number of trained Wizards of various calibers, would be able to hold off any capture group sent after them. And we don't have the numbers to ensure that none flee once we start taking the castle. We need a literal army to take it, not to mention a large number of powerful Wizards and Spell Breakers just to punch a hole in Hogwarts' wards."

"And Le Fay has both the army, and the Wizards and Spell Breakers on his side, not to mention that he could simply walk all of his troops inside, seeing as he is Lord Slytherin and has a full legal right and claim on the place." Amelia sighed. "He may be after Dumbledore, but he isn't someone to blindly go and do someone's bidding. We'll have to be ready to make concessions for his cooperation, possibly even give some of the territories to him in exchange for his forces and help."

"Why not give him Hogwarts and the territories of Southern Scotland? Those were officially lands of the Founder Houses and since he is the Lord of Slytherin, he does have a legal claim on at least some of them. We can promise him those lands and the castle for his support." Frank suggested. "There are some 12 Houses living in those lands, but that's not too much and they aren't the most influential Houses, like Greengrass and McLaggen, who had had pledged his support to Le Fay as his vassal, from what I had heard."

"He might agree to that, and it's clear that the kids will have to adjust to homeschooling for the time being, at least for a year. Until we clean this mess and check Hogwarts for all of Dumbledore's secrets and other things, the school is closed up." Amelia stated. "I believe I can convince Henry Le Fay to take this deal, or I'll be able to make Rose convince him. He listens to her more than anyone."

"And after what James and Lily had done with her, it shouldn't be much of a challenge to convince her in helping us. Had it been Harry, he would've helped us without us asking for it." Frank noted to Amelia. "Now all that remains are to makes sure that Minister approves of it all. Have you been able to contact him or not?"

"Our Minister had clearly been tired from the festivities last night and has yet to appear or respond by Floo to my calls to him." Amelia simply stated to Frank, until the door in her office swung open.

The two senior Aurors turned around and saw how Minister of Magic and his favorite lackey Dolores Umbridge had made their way inside of her office, both looking like they were prepared to murder them both. Amelia and Frank, in whom she trusted, had suspected that Dumbledore had managed to twist Minster around his finger and could use him to any extent he saw fit. And seeing how Fudge was quick to change one patron for another, with no regard for the aftermath of his actions, it was obvious that he wasn't exactly suited for seat of the Minister. Taking a deep breath Amelia spoke up.

"Minister, so good of you to finally join us. I was half tempted to send a squad of Aurors, to ensure you are safe and sound." Amelia spoke up.

"Amelia, what is the meaning of all this?!" Fudge shouted at her, almost hysterical. "Hundreds of arrests of the law-abiding citizens, interrogations and detention of Ministry workers, not to mention this utter hogwash!" He threw the newspaper right in Amelia's face, but she managed to catch it before it hit her face.

"As I am sure you are aware, I am just doing my duty as the Head of the DMLE, and right now, that means that I have ensure that Magical Britain is safe and rid of the conspirators that aim to undermine Ministry's power." Amelia simply explained to him. "The Daily Prophet simply reported what is true, and although I wish the timing was different, it still caught the point of this entire situation, Minister. I…"

"I don't care whatever your damn excuse may be, Bones! This is clearly just another one of your attempts to undermine my power and authority, and I will not stand for this!" Fudge shouted at her, with both Bones and Longbottom looking at him as if he was a lunatic. "You've arrested unjustly all of my major supporters, not to mention upstanding citizens of our society and all the good working people of the Ministry, all so that you could seize power for yourself, while using this so-called 'Order of Phoenix' as excuse in overthrowing me!"

"You are a fool if you think we haven't foreseen such an event happening, Madam Bones." Umbridge spoke sickeningly sweetly. "I had long reported to the Minister of your long growing desires to establish your dictatorship over the Magical Britain and overthrow the legitimate government. No excuse will now save you, not that we have the evidence of your treachery, provided to us by the Chief Warlock."

"So, you two really are now in Dumbledore's pocket, aren't you?" Frank sounded almost amused, as he saw their outraged looks. "Did he promise you his support in the re-elections, or did he fill up your pockets with galleons to get you on his side so soon after you've shunned him? Either way, it doesn't really matter, because there is no saving him or the Order now, not when the evidence is rock solid and there are dozens of eager witnesses and confessions, detailing all that is needed to ensure that the old schemer ends up feeding the worms in the ground."

"It doesn't bloody matter!" Fudge screamed at them both, before panting, while a group of four Aurors arrived in the cabinet with them. "Aurors! Arrest these two on the charges of treason, attempted coup d'état, subterfuge and etc.!" The Aurors looked around each other and then at their boss, not doing anything to execute the order.

"You've heard what your Minister had ordered you! Take those two conspirators and lock them up in the Azkaban!" Dolores practically screeched at them. "Aurors, I _command_ you…"

"Men, arrest Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge for obstructing legal investigation of national importance, collaboration with terrorists, multiple bribes, multiple cases of abusing position and obstruction of a legal investigation and fabrication of false charges agaisnt Harry James Potter." Amelia simply ordered her Aurors, with the four immediately nodding and without another word, grabbing a hold of the two and dragging them out of the office.

"Obstruction of legal investigation and fabrication of false charges against Harry Potter?" Frank asked of Amelia. "But I thought that the evidence…"

"Witnesses of four major Dumbledore pawns, no consecutive investigation launched after the incident, trial within several days of the incident, not to mention no defense for the accused, right to speak up or any strong clear evidence of impartial nature to prove the accusations being correct." Amelia listed just some of the clear evidences she found in reviewing Harry's case. "I was not even allowed on the trial, as I would've found out the truth and not allowed it happen. No, Harry Potter had been innocent and had been thrown into Azkaban's bowels for over 2 years for no good reason, other than that he didn't agree with Dumbledore and was a black sheep of the family."

"Holy mother of God…" Frank sounded mortified after hearing it all. "And I've been on that trial and… I-I can't believe that I didn't even think that he was innocent. I... We all just… He was my Godson and Alice and I, we…" The realization that he had voted to send his innocent Godson to Azkaban to die and didn't hesitate, even knowing the kid better than even his own parents, was too much to simply handle.

"You want to make it up to him, Frank? Then stop admonishing yourself and deal with the Order and people that had betrayed him and sent him to die." Amelia simply stated to him, before moving to her Floo portal. "We need to secure Hogwarts as soon as possible, so I'm going to Le Fay and request his help in this. You are in charge of things until I return. Understood?"

"Y-yes." Frank nodded to her, with Amelia not even responding and teleporting away, while he was left alone in the cabinet, contemplating the mistake he had made the day he sent Harry to Azkaban.

* * *

**Albion's Hearth.**

"The Witcher teams in our lands are reporting capturing over 100 Wizards and Witches already. They will be turning them over to the Ministry's authorities shortly." Hirandyl reported to his liege. "However, many of the noble wizarding families have either surrendered or fled their holdings in the kingdom. The Witchers report that they were in a hurry and didn't fortify their mansions' wards, as they've had no difficulty in getting in."

"The majority of those families, according to my own sources, are surrendering to Amelia, as predicted." Lord Greengrass spoke up. "They aren't interested in going down with Dumbledore, and those that aren't surrendering are either too deeply involved, or are in denial of the entire situation. Three of the Houses that haven't turned themselves in had requested protection from House Greengrass and other Neutral and Dark families, but it was denied to them. Not even Voldemort and his supporters are willing to get involved in this mess. However, it would appear that the majority of Houses and supporters of Dumbledore that are still at large had managed to disappear from all radars. My guess is that they've found their way to Hogwarts before the Aurors and Witchers had come for them."

"My sisters have told me that Hogwarts' wards had flared up in power and are active now in full force." Wendy spoke up. "I'm afraid that without powerful magic, only my sisters and I will be able to enter and leave without any trouble, or you will have to go through Forbidden Forest. But if anyone tries to leave Hogwarts through air, Sylphs will take them down."

"Seers and huntresses in the Forest have reported that a large number of Wizards and Witches, along with their children, have been arriving in Hogwarts for some time now. Thanks to our magic, we were able to determine that the number is close that of still missing criminals, of whom we have information and knowledge of." Neriada informed the Council and Prince Le Fay. "I've ordered the huntresses to spread out through the woods and seize any and all that try going through them."

"My Centaurs also assist in this endeavor, Your Highness." Chiron spoke up as well.

Henry nodded to them all, analyzing what he had heard from his vassals and Councilors. So far, everything was going according to his predictions and expectations, with nothing to be worried about, but he wasn't going to let his guard down now. This was perhaps the most crucial moment of this entire spectacle and he had to act quickly and decisively, if he was to deal the mortal wound to the Order and take Dumbledore down.

Those were the reasons why he had ordered, without prior notification of Amelia, the deployment of Night Elven 1500 strong army in the Forbidden Forest right after the downfall of House Potter, along with hundreds Sylphs, Dryads and Centaurs. That's not to mention 500 High Elven warriors, over a hundred Werewolves, 40 Dhampirs and 20 Jotunns in a dangerously close proximity to Hogsmeade, prepared to take it, with or without a fight.

He wasn't going to be taking any chances with Dumbledore and his supporters, and he wasn't going to be charging in recklessly and without plan into Hogwarts. No, not this time or ever again. This time, he will make full use of his resources and position he is in. He was Prince Le Fay, ruler of practically all of magical races in Magical Britain, with their oaths of loyalty secured to him and their faith in him strong. What's the point of being a ruler if you weren't going to put your armies to use in defeating your enemies?

Harry turned his attention to Skadhi and spoke up to her.

"Skadhi, are your spell casters are in place?" He asked of her, with her eagerly nodding.

"Right outside of the wards and waiting for my command. Once the order is given, not a living soul will be able to escape the castle and its grounds. The runes have all been placed and now await the command." Skadhi reported to Henry. "I assume that you personally shall head over there and secure your ancestral lands, won't you? If so, I ask to accompany you in this endeavor."

"Milord, with all due respect, it wouldn't be wise of you to set foot there. Dumbledore would've most likely prepared for your arrival and taken precautions, especially once he realized your previous identity." Alucard spoke up. "Perhaps, it would be wiser to let someone else handle this situation. Lady Rias, for an example, along with some of our commanders or us personally in command of the forces, could handle this with not much difficulty."

"I certainly wouldn't mind stretching my legs a bit, and I am mildly curious to see Hogwarts of this era, but don't you trust me to lead the forces of House Le Fay effectively?" Rias asked of Alucard, but it was Rose that responded.

"They, along with their people and forces, have all pledged their loyalty to House Le Fay and my brother personally." Rose's statement was all that Rias needed to hear.

"Ah, my mistake. Apologies, but if you do intend to go there by yourself, I offer my services to you in this task as a companion and protector." Rias spoke to Henry. "Since my Mother can't set foot in Hogwarts, and after her, I am the strongest magical user at your disposal, it would be illogical not to put my services to use."

"Aren't you a bit overly eager to prove yourself to Henry here? I recall you being not too eager to follow him just a few days ago, and now, you are practically throwing yourself at him. Forgive me, but I find this sudden shift of personality a tad suspicious." Skadhi spoke up. "I don't doubt the power of Irene, but who is to say that _you _yourself aren't after the throne? And the situation seems like quite a fortunate way to get your position of power secured via a tragic accident in the Hogwarts, so to speak."

"You know, in the past, I would've pulverized you into nothing for even implying that I would do what you think." Rias said to Skadhi in a dangerously low tone, before returning to normal. "But, given the fact of me actually going up agaisnt Henry here, I'll let this one go. As for my eagerness you've noticed, I have my own personal interest in all of this. These people had set me against my own House and were prepared to take away everything owned by House Le Fay in case of my success. That's not to mention that there is an object of great emotional importance to me in that castle, which I _really_ want returned to me. And I do wish to protect the current Prince Le Fay, if only to make sure he is capable of repopulating our House with trueborn Le Fay children. Does this answer satisfy you?"

"Oh? And how would you describe those 'trueborn Le Fay children' to us all here?" Skadhi smiled mischievously at Rias, who had a small amount of blush on her cheeks.

"Skadhi, you can tease Rias all you want after this affair is behind us. And yes, I am going there, and I am not going there alone. You and Rias will accompany me, along with a full company of those Night Elven Rangers. I believe they all have personal invisibility cloaks and are trained in magical arts?" Night Elven Queen nodded to Henry. "Excellent, once Amelia comes and gives the green light, we'll depart. Rose, the castle and lands are on you, so you know what to do."

"Don't worry. I'll be here, with over a thousand High Elven guards and a literal Devil protecting me." Rose dryly replied. "Just don't forget to find that Diadem while you are out there. That is, if you have the idea of where it could be in that castle?"

"Why do you think he has agreed to take me along for the ride?" Rias asked Rose in a bit of a playful manner. "It did take me some effort, but I have come up with all the possible places where my Diadem could be, with one place on which both he and I agree would be most appropriate to hide it in. And I know the location of said place, and how to safely deal with the unwanted occupant of my diadem."

"What about House Black and Regulus? It was my understanding that they would most certainly like to be involved as well in this matter." Greengrass asked of Harry.

"Regulus and Arcturus are conducting their own business, related to our other enemy. They are currently too preoccupied with this, while Bellatrix is with Andromeda and Ted, and I won't involve them in this one." Harry simply stated to them all. "Now, is there anything else any of you would like to add?" None had anything more to state. "Then the meeting is adjourned." The Councilors and participants of today's Council rose up and left the chambers, before Irene appeared before Henry and spoke up.

"Lady Bones has graced us with her presence. She requests an audience." Irene reported with a smile.

Harry as well as everyone in the room already understood what this meant. The green light was given to them.

* * *

**Hogwarts.**

Hogwarts, the most prestigious magical school in all of magical World, the self-proclaimed safest place in all of Magical Britain, was now the last safe place for the supporters and members of the Order of Phoenix, along with their leader, Albus Dumbledore, who for the first time in many, many years, was fuming inwardly at this entire situation. The Leader of the Light hadn't been a prideful or arrogant man, as no Leader of Light would ever hold said qualities in his mind, as he was simply a determined and willful person when need be. However, now Albus had to face the facts and the truth.

And the truth was that he had made a grievous mistake with Harry Potter, and now that very mistake had come to back to not just bite him in his bottom, but to gnaw at his throat and rip it apart. He had to admit that he should've paid more attention to the eldest of Lily and James, possibly played a vital part in his upbringing and molding him as his possible successor. Harry had certainly possessed the potential, power and a great deal of qualities that Dumbledore had appreciated in people.

However, along with that, Albus also knew that the boy was influenced far too much by Charlus and Dorea, the two people that had never been able to accept his vision of Light and the World. That along with Henry's imbedded hatred for his own parents, callous disposition towards authorities and abnormal thirst for knowledge well beyond his reach had reminded Dumbledore far too much of Tom Riddle. He couldn't allow another Dark Lord to rise, nor a possibility on even the smallest of scales that there could be someone like Voldemort, so Dumbledore had decided instead of guiding already dangerous person to eliminate him. A task in which he had failed.

Still, he couldn't help but actually feel impressed by the grandson of Dorea and Charlus, who had managed to overcome so much and rose up above his foolish, gullible parents and younger brother. Perhaps, he should've claimed him to be the Boy-Who-Lived instead of William and molded him appropriately. Then again he was already far too much like Gabriel and Michael back then. And while those two had truly believed in the Light and fought for it, they weren't true followers of Dumbledore's vision and his Light, and had rejected it. It was a shame to put them both down, but sacrifices had to be made for the true Light and true Greater Good, and no victory has ever been secured without the blood of virtuous people.

Turning away from his past dealings, Albus had returned back in the reality and present, and the present was looking grim for him. He had underestimated Henry, badly, and now it had cost him decades of careful and meticulous work. The Order of the Phoenix, his pride and jewel of his mastermind, was now public knowledge and its members were hunted down like animals. He did not expect late Nymphadora Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt, along with Alastor Moody, to have acquired through her membership in this Order so much information regarding his Order. They had effectively managed to gain more nine tenths of all identities of Albus' supporters and collaborators, not to mention all of the supporters from the nobility.

This was a catastrophe, and one that needed to be quickly solved, or otherwise Albus would be forced to lose, something he would _never_ allow himself to do. He didn't hold any hope that Fudge, the fool he was, would be able to even put up a fight against Amelia, much less stop her. No, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was now out for blood, and with Henry on her side, they were after _his _blood primarily. The fact that he had allowed all those supporters that had fled being captured to come here just painted an even bigger target on Dumbledore. He was quickly coming to the realization that the Order from an asset was becoming a ballast and garbage for him. And Dumbledore wasn't one to hold on to anything that may impede his plans.

For the Greater Good and the Light, sacrifices must always be made, and this time, the Order in its entirety would have to serve as such sacrifice. In order for Dumbledore to ultimately achieve his victory, his absolute and total victory over all of Evil and Darkness, he would have to return his focus to his most important project, one that had been his crowning jewel and peak of his greatness and mastery over magic. He had intended it to be finished years ago, with the help of the Philosopher's Stone, had it not been lost somehow, but even without it, his tireless work was almost at its end and once it was all done and complete, nothing would stand between Dumbledore and victory, not even Harry Potter.

Let him and Amelia chase around Britain, let them prowl upon the Order and its remains, it mattered not anymore, because in the long run, Dumbledore was already on his path to victory. Hogwarts had also served its purposes and held no further need or interest for him, so with the clear conciseness, Dumbledore could leave it to Harry and his cronies. All those that had pledged their loyalty and swore to Dumbledore would have to become martyrs for his dream, and the thought of them sacrificing their lives and freedoms for his goal warmed Dumbledore's heart, even if those same martyrs didn't know of it. Even James and his family would have to go, if the Greater Good is to be achieved.

Standing up from his chair and being joined by his trusted companion Fawkes, Albus moved to his own quarters, before reaching an ancient looking mirror. Dumbledore had already sensed that there were Sylphs in the air and that they could block Phoenix's magic from afar, which had forced Albus to seek different means of escape. Fortunately he wasn't one without a second way of escape, as he tapped with his Elder Wand the mirror and it displayed not the Chief Warlock, but the place of his interest.

With a small smile upon his lips, Dumbledore stepped right through the mirror and disappeared forever from Hogwarts.

* * *

**10 minutes later.**

"What the hell do you mean that Dumbledore had disappeared?!" James roared at Minerva, as the uproar in the great hall intensified to an unimaginable scale.

All of the remaining most loyal to the Order and Dumbledore people had all gathered in Hogwarts, having been declared the enemies of the state and main targets for hunt by Aurors and the treacherous Ministry. They had come here to seek shelter, to regroup and gain guidance from Dumbledore, their leader and one that was the Leader of the Light, only instead of a leader and strong influence on them all, as well as salvation, they found nothing. Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore was nowhere to be found. Minerva just informed them all about, having used her limited power over Hogwarts to find Dumbledore, who refused to so far to reveal himself to them.

Instead of finding him, she found nothing, and his remnants of the Order were in panic after hearing about it. All of them had hoped in despair to find their ultimate savior, their guide and de-fact grandfather here to welcome and comfort them, to solve all their trouble as he had always done. Only instead of that, they found nothing of that sort. And the grim, dark realization began to settle in their minds, one that none had wanted to believe in, yet it crept in ever closer to their hearts and minds. The realization that their leader and mentor had abandoned them all… This was truly a horrific thought, one that was incomprehensible to them all, as they all thought and yet…

"But if he is not here, what will we do then?" William asked out loud. "You didn't look too well. He can simply be away from the castle. Probably he's already dealing with this entire mess as we speak!"

"Yes, he is probably in the Ministry already, taking charge of things and releasing all of our friends and family!" Molly supported in near hysteria William, with some others also doing so… until they heard a dark chuckle and clapping.

A large crowd of Wizards and Witches turned to the entrance into the great Hall, only to see Harry Potter walking towards them, accompanied by two equally beautiful women of unnatural appeal and beauty at his either side. And as he walked towards them, he laughed and clapped to them all, before he stopped a fair distance away from them all and ceased his clapping, speaking to them all.

"Oh, you poor unfortunate souls, how desperate you all must be, to yet cling to this flimsy hope that Dumbledore shall make everything right for you…" Harry said to no one in particular with smile. "Well, allow me to shatter any and all belief in a happy ending in this situation for you all. Upon my magic and life, I swear that Dumbledore is not in the Ministry and that he is not doing anything to stop what is happening now, nor does anyone know where he is." Golden glow confirmed that the truth of Harry's words, shattering their all combined hopes.

"Y-you lie!" Ginny cried out from the crowd to Harry, with some others doing so as well.

"How? There is no way you can just deceive magic when it comes to Magical Oaths, and I swore one just now, didn't I?" Harry smiled to them all. "Face it, all of you: Dumbledore has left you all here to die in his place. I am actually not even surprised he did so. In fact, I was expecting him to do so right after he understood, that all of you now to him are nothing more but a bunch of useless meat bags, worth none of his time and effort."

"He wouldn't have abandoned us all, not like this!" Someone from the crowd shouted out. "No, he is simply hiding, planning to take you down and…"

"Of course he does." Harry had agreed with the shouter. "Of course Dumbledore is plotting my demise and death as we speak, only now his plans are altered and _you_ are now not so important in his agenda. Face it, if he had _really_ wanted to save you all lot, he would've activated _all_ of the defenses of Hogwarts, made those statues come to life, close up the entire castle and so more! Hell, I've brought a literal _army_ just for that, expecting and even wishing to face him like this, but no… Instead I am treated to this, a bunch of sheep without a shepherd, lambs left for the slaughter. I have to admit, that such a pragmatic move of Dumbledore left me feeling criminally disappointed, and positively impressed at the same time."

"Mr. Potter, why are you here and what do you with us? To gloat and revel in our misfortune, one that you had brought upon us all?!" Minerva McGonagall shouted at him. "I had once thought that you were a fine young man, one that despite his shortcomings was good in heart, but to do this… You are worse than even Voldemort."

"Oh please, and in what areas am I worse than him, hm? Do I kill Muggles and Muggleborns for fun? Have I ever tortured a Half-Blood before just for laughs, or maybe I've waged a war against the Magical World with thousands of casualties?" Harry asked of her. "No, no, no and no in all cases. In fact, as a student, I've actually done _far _more for the protection of all those Muggles, Muggleborns and Half-Bloods then you've ever done in your entire tenure as teachers in here. Where were you when Slytherin 5th years decided to beat up a group of Muggleborn 2nd years, or how about saving Hermione Granger from a Troll, rings a bell? And let's not forget, those two times when I went out of my way to safe this damned school from Voldemort. And where in all those times were _you_?" Harry pointed at them all.

"What the hell do you want, you damned bastard?!" James was quickly losing his patience, as he stepped out of the group and went to him. "You've ruined all of our lives, you've left us all destitute and with nothing, so now you decide come here and gloat?! You think that just because you've won once you can just come and gloat? Think again!" Without much of a thought, James went to whip out his wand, only to be blasted back with a magical bolt of _Expeliarmus_ from Rias, forcing him onto his back.

"Our dear Prince was actually getting to that, but since you all are so impatient, I think we'll just get to the point." Rias spoke up. "I shall be brief and truthful to you all: the Order is finished and you have lost. As we speak, Aurors and our forces are rounding up more and more of Dumbledore's cronies, before sending them to jail. The resistance is futile, all paths of escape are cut off for you and we have an army just outside those gates. One word- and they will slaughter you all in a blink of an eye. If you wish to safe your pitiful lives and whatever is left of them, you will surrender to us. Compared to death, that is a much better alternative, wouldn't you agree?"

"And what would we gain from surrender, huh?! Life imprisonment in Azkaban, poverty and destitution?!" Molly shouted out at her.

"Compared to how you lived before, that would be an improvement for you and your family." Harry remarked to Molly. "Make no mistake-this is not a deal. It is an ultimatum: capitulate, or die. Either way is good enough for me, but if you surrender, _some _of you may at least get a small chance to prove your innocence before Amelia and the Court. However, I can assure you that _one _of you here shall die, that is without a shadow of a doubt." Harry looked at James, who seemed scared at the implication.

"Y-you think that you can really scare us with that threat, Harry?" James shakily said to him, before composing himself. "You may be all brave and cocky now with these two bitches at your side, but alone without anything to back you up? You are nothing more but useless weakling, who can't even take a beating. You aren't a man enough to stand up and fight one on one!" James shouted at Harry, who surprisingly simply smirked to him.

"Thank you, James." He suddenly said to him, raising his right hand and stepping a few steps closer to him. "I was hoping you would say that." He snapped his fingers, and the two were suddenly separated from everyone else by invisible barriers, creating a sort of a ring.

"What is the meaning of this, Harry?" James asked of him, as he tried to get past the barrier, failing miserably.

"This is what I _really _came here for, James." Harry told him, as he took off his coat and tossed onto the floor, looking James in the eyes. "You said that I am a useless weakling, incapable of standing up for myself and fighting one on one. Now is your chance to prove yourself right. One on one, no one to interfere, just you and me, _father_." Harry told him in a sickeningly sweet tone.

Snarling with anger, James whipped out his wand and started to send destructive spells towards Harry, trying kill him with his favorite _Reducto_. However, none of the volleys didn't seem to work, as Harry simply redirected each and every blast away with a flick of hand. By the time James had decided to try something different, Harry suddenly pulled with his magic James' wand and caught in in his hand. As he twirled it in his hands, he looked up at him and spoke up.

"You know, I've waited fifteen years for this, and somehow all this magical posturing and spells don't feel any satisfactory." Without much effort, he broke the wooden wand and tossed its remains aside. "How about we do this the old fashioned way? C'mon, James, show me what a _real_ man can do! C'mon, I'll even give a free one, you traitorous sack of shit!"

Harry's goading worked, as James rushed Harry with a roar, bringing up his fist and slamming it across his son's smug face. It wasn't the first time that James had raised his fist on his son and gave him a beating, as he had done so more than enough time to learn to get enjoyment from it. And that moment when his fist once more collided with Harry's face felt almost as good as if he had just climaxed with Lily, a feeling so elating and good that it had nearly drunk him. However, his euphoria didn't last too long, as while Harry's head moved from the strike, he didn't even flinch and simply began to laugh.

"Haha, this is all you've got?" Harry turned to face James, revealing just a small streak of blood from his mouth, which he wiped off with his hand. "I remember Lily slapping me harder than that."

With another roar, James tried to strike Harry again, only for his right arm to be blocked by his left arm effortlessly. At the look of shock on James' face, Harry spoke up again to him.

"You've had your first one free. Now, it's time to pay up." With that said, Harry grabbed James by his shoulders and then drove his frame down, connecting his knee with James's chest.

Letting out a pained groan, James exuded air out of his lungs with agony, only to be hit right in the face with an uppercut from Harry. Stumbling back and reeling with disorientation, James tried to collect himself and strike at Harry, but his bastard of a son was far more composed and quicker. Easily evading clumsy punches, Harry moved closer and punched James again in the face with his right one, backhanding him with ease, before following this up with a powerful punch with his left in the center of his chest. Spewing blood, James tried to fall back, but was unable, as Harry suddenly moved behind him and with a powerful punch, he sent older man down onto the floor, spewing blood and spit onto it, as Harry stood over him.

The audience was watching in a mortified fascination at what was transpiring behind the invisible barrier. The show of Harry Potter, beating the ever living shit out of his father, James Potter, who was considered to be one of the greatest Wizards of this generation, a living legend among the Aurors. If anyone should've been able to beat this upstart of a Prince, it should've been James, and yet now Harry was handling him as if he was less than a Wizard. He had dominated him with both magic and physical prowess, he even allowed him to strike him once, and it did absolutely nothing.

Now Harry was allowed the free reign to do what he had always wanted to do: shatter and destroy the image of James Potter, the hero and great wizard, right in front of all his remaining friends and family. It worked, as William couldn't even watch it, but Lily watched it all and couldn't help but feel contempt and disgust, but not with Harry. No, the source of her ire and irritation was James now, who was so helplessly beaten into a pulp like he was nothing. She had always respected strength, craved power and tried to be with those that possessed it, to use it for her own devises. James had served her in that regard well enough, making Lily strong and invincible in a certain way, and she loved him in her own way, but now…

Now she wished that she was actually married to Harry, who despite her disgust and hatred for ruining her life as Head of House of Stuart, had risen to such heights and gain far more power than James had ever hopped. For the first time in her life, she couldn't help but feel proud as a mother of Harry, as contradictory and polarizing it had felt for her. Maybe if she had actually repented, told him everything and put up a show for him, he would feel compelled to safe her? Perhaps she could use the same appeal that drove James to her in the first place? After all, like father, like son they say…

James coughed out blood, as he tried to rise up, but couldn't as his face met with Harry's boot, slamming at high speed. Driven onto his back and plastered on the floor, he hissed from pieces of glass imbedded in his flesh and eyes, while Harry circled around him like a wolf and spoke.

"What's the matter, James? Can't win against some who hits back?" Harry asked of him, receiving only more coughing. "Tell me does it feel, James, to be beaten like this, huh? Can't tell? Hm, must be something new for you. Well, I hope you enjoy this sensation, just like I have." He stepped closer and grabbed him by his hair and lifted up on his knees, still holding him.

"Hurts, does it not? You think this is the worst pain you've ever felt, don't you? Well, guess what: you know _nothing _of pain." Harry whispered those words into his ear, before his right fist collided with James' face with full force. "That one is fore Rose, whom you and that bitch nearly killed!" He roared, before he delivered another blow in his face, sending James's teeth out of his mouth.

"That one is me, you piece of shit!" Another roaring blow and Harry's fist collides with James' ribs, followed by his knee kicking there, breaking them and forcing James to spew even more blood.

"Those were for Michael and Gabriel, you kinslaying bastard!" Driving his knee once more into James, he collided it with his face completely breaking it and driving glass even further in.

"That one is my real father, you fucking bile of patricide!" And after that, he moved behind James' back, grabbing his head with both of his arms and leaning in to whisper in his ear.

"And this one is for my mother." He almost calmly said to him, as he gripped his head strongly, and used all of his strength to move his arms…

…Only they didn't move, not one inch and simply remained holding him in place. Harry didn't understand why in the world was he unable to move them. He poured all of his emotion, all of his rage and anger, yet it was as if his very body was no longer responding to him in correct way. It wasn't allowing him to finally end James, as if something was stopping him.

"_You can't kill him, Harry."_ Suddenly, a voice spoke in his head, a voice so painfully familiar that it nearly drove him to tears, stopping his very being in its tracks. _"You are better than this, better than him. My son is better than him."_

'He… He was the one… Because of him you and dad… You died because of him, he sent both Michael and Gabriel to death, yet you would stop me from _killing him_?!' Harry roared out mentally. 'WHY?!'

"_Because I love you, my son." _The voice simply said to him with care and love. _"Son killing his father, brother slaying brother… Be better than him, break the cycle and be finally free. Free yourself from your hatred and the past, move away from it and live. It shouldn't be your hand that ends him."_

Shacking, Harry felt how his arms had returned to him and he was once more in control of them. He looked down upon the object of his absolute hatred and anger, feeling ready to end it… Only now that the cloud of fury lifted off his eyes, all he saw is just a sorry excuse of a man, a flesh sack, filled with broken bones, bile and blood. The satisfaction of finally breaking James Potter was there, it had settled in, but now looking at him like this, after hearing what he heard… He felt hollow at the thought of ending him like this, simply doing him a favor of sorts. And then there was that gnawing stinging sense of sickness, as if he was going on the same path as James.

No, he didn't need to be like him, nor did he need the past to hold him captive anymore.

Harry Potter had died in that fire and he should rest in peace with the ashes.

Letting go of his head, Harry moved away from James, letting the barriers set by Hogwarts fade away, as James stayed in the kneeling position. Skadhi and Rias looked perplexed at Henry as he walked to them, before Skadhi asked of him.

"Why… Why didn't you end him?" She asked of him, as he answered to her.

"It is over, Skadhi. He is over, as well as me." Henry replied to her in a strange manner, until Rias and Skadhi understood him. "I'm done with him, for good. Ending him will only lower me to his level, the level of a kinslayer and creature of bile and hatred… I'm tired of it, of them all." Skadhi nodded to him at this one.

"Good." Rias simply replied to him, as she raised her hand towards James, and sent her powerful magic right at him before anyone could get to him.

The destructive magical wave swept over his body and completely pulverized and destroyed every single atom of the being that was James Potter, leaving behind nothing but void. Henry looked at Rias with a question, before she answered to him.

"Son shouldn't kill his parents, even if those same parents killed their own progenitors. You've broken and destroyed him, demolished his very being. That is more than just ending someone's life." Rias stated to him. "As for me, he had used me against my family like a puppet. None dared to do so and live." Henry looked at her for a second and simply let out a tired sigh, before nodding to her.

"Alright. Rangers, secure them all and inform the rest of the troops to fully secure and begin searching this castle immediately. I want no stone unturned, no room unchecked and no corner unattended to." Henry commanded to them, as the massive group of armed Night Elves revealed themselves and went on ahead with their commands, while the trio went on ahead with their own doings.

And as they've left the great hall, for the first time Henry had let out a breath that was free of the gnawed up feeling of hatred and anger. He felt like for the first time in his life he could breathe with full chest and nothing had obstructed him from doing so.

For the first time in 15 years, he felt free.

* * *

**My apologies for skipping a week and not uploading anything on it. My only excuse is that I had celebrated my birthday on 19****th**** of October and decided to take it easy and relax, which meant me not finally getting to this chapter and putting it out for you all. **

**Again, sorry, but anyway, I am pretty content with my work, and even though I feel like it will generate some haters, because Henry hadn't finished James off and that I should've allowed him to do so. Well, my only excuse is that I wanted Henry to fully leave behind his past, and his hatred of James was one of the key stones of his persona. Had he embraced it and went on ahead with his impulse, he wouldn't be able to simply move on and Harry Potter would always be there with Henry, and **_**the voice**_** understood it. Instead, I believe that Henry finally letting go of hatred, having done enough with Potters, is more than enough to fulfill his desires. **

**Think about it: he humiliated them, left them destitute, completely shattered their image in public and even more, he broke James with his bare hands. I'd say that killing him wouldn't have any meaning for Henry at this point. As for Rias, she simply finished off an enemy of her House without any trouble and emotional baggage so to speak, doing a favor for Henry, as she understood that he wanted to move forward without anything holding him back.**

**Leave a review, suggestion, question, you know what to do.**

**Next time: Voldemort and Death Eaters reaction to what had happened; New ally of House Le Fay; Lily and Rose.**


	20. Chapter 20

**August 21st .Malfoy Manor.**

Voldemort sat on his throne, contemplating what has been happening in the past 15 hours, trying to fully comprehend and analyze the chaotic shift in fundamental powers of Magical Britain. Under any normal circumstances, the effective elimination and subsequent hunting of the Order of Phoenix, not to mention a metaphorical anathema of Dumbledore would've been a cause for a celebration. It most certainly was more than a good reason for many of his supporters to open up their vine cellars and drink its contents. To them, they've achieved their greatest victory and it was time to reap the reward: all of Magical Britain, ripe for the taking.

Voldemort, on the other hand, wasn't in a celebratory mood. In fact he was in quite the opposite mood, as he had begun to fully realize the precarious threat that Prince Henry Arthur Le Fay posed. Until now, he hadn't considered him worth of his special and fullest attention, despite being publically recognized as Lord Slytherin. The said fact had ignited his fury for some time and was reason for Lucius' punishment, but after his anger was reigned in, Voldemort decided to continue focus on recuperation and rebuilding of his strength. He would've dealt with Prince Le Fay in due time, at his leisure and decision, when Voldemort would decide so. Even the fact that House of Black in its entirety, with Bellatrix and Regulus included in, had sided with this upstart wasn't much of a concern for Voldemort at first.

Now he was sorely regretting not taking the threat of Prince Le Fay seriously. The opinion of the Dark Lord had changed once he had read the Daily Prophet this morning, along with receiving reports from his spies about how Elven troops and forces had supported Aurors in their efforts of capturing members of the Order. He was taken aback with sudden activeness of House Le Fay and their brutal efficiency at eradicating his most troubling enemy, essentially destroying the powerbase of Dumbledore and taking control of the Magical Britain. This had opened his eyes to the frightening truth he should've realized _long _ago: House Le Fay and it's ruler were a _far _greater menace than Dumbledore and Ministry.

That was his first realization that had spurred his change of opinion. The second and far more frightening and terrifying realization came to Voldemort when he had tried to mentally reach his Horcruxes. To his shock and absolute terror, he felt only one part of his soul, the one that was always near him in form of Nagini. The only reason to the sudden absence of his other shards was simple: they were all destroyed. And it was clear to Voldemort that it wasn't Dumbledore's work, as the old proud goat hadn't been able to find any of his artifacts in decades, even when he had ample time, limitless resources and more than enough followers for it. Oh no, the old fool wasn't the one responsible for this, it was the work of someone who was determined in destroying him.

Prince Le Fay and his little faction… Now Voldemort had come to realize just what kind of menace and threat they pose to him. They had resources, armies, knowledge and information about him and his weaknesses, and Voldemort no longer had any ability to counter his loss of Horcruxes. After having fractured his soul so many times, it was only after his recent rebirth that Voldemort had realized that he was unable to split his soul any more, and if he did, he risked his utter destruction. Not only that, but he no longer was as powerful as he used to be in his youth, and could only command a fracture of his previous might. Granted it was still more than enough to strike fear into his enemies and inspire obedience in his underlings, but were he to face off against Dorea Potter like he had, she would've wiped him out in a minute.

For the first time in many years Voldemort was forced to admit that he had made a grave mistake in creation of so many Horcruxes, for their creation each time seeped away his total amount of power and weakened him. And now it had come to bite him in the arse…

"Milord, I don't understand why are you so gloomy on a day like this?" Nott Sr. asked of him jovially, sitting at his right. "This is a truly great day for us: the Order is broken, their members are hunted down, Dumbledore along with them, and those damn Potters are no more. James is dead, and his wife and their bastard are in prison. We should be celebrating!"

"Celebrating what, exactly?" Voldemort had suddenly opened his eyes and asked of Nott and others. "We've had nothing to do with any of it, not to mention none of us had been even aware that this was coming for our enemies. If anything, with the recent death of Severus and now the destruction of Dumbledore's pet project, we should all be on our toes and access, just what kind of a danger does Prince Le Fay and his allies pose to us all."

"The pretender had simply played into your hands, nothing more, milord." Draco suddenly spoke up, with some of the older and younger Death Eaters agreeing with him. "He had made it clear that he was no friend to those weaklings and now he had showed it. We'll seize on this opportunity and take what is ours by the right of our blood!"

"It seems your son has inherited the Blacks' infamous attitude, Lucius. You would be wise to rein that ignorant arrogance, before I personally decide to teach him respect and restraint." Voldemort said chillingly, making Narcissa and Draco pale at the thought, while Lucius simply bowed to his lord, while shacking a little. "Unfortunately, it would seem that many of you here also share young Draco's opinion on the current events. How predictably disappointing, and also disheartening, to see so many followers of Salazar Slytherin fall short in their sight of the threat that has finally raised its head."

"Milord, surely you overestimate the threat of that upstart _boy_." Lord Flint spoke up. "It is clear that he has had such a success thanks to his secret alliance with Amelia Bones and having followed her instructions. Now that the Ministry is without its effective governing head, and will be in a state of interregnum and chaos, we'll easily seize control over it, and once we do, House Le Fay shall be history once more. What can they put up against us? Elves, elementals, vampires and other rabble- all of them not even humans, much less trueborn Wizards and Witches with our pedigree of power."

"Humans they may not be, yet great power and magic many of them wield, enough to warrant caution and respect even from me." Voldemort suddenly stated. "But even if that is not enough for you all to see what I mean, let me remind you, that House Le Fay holds power over the only Devil that is present in this world. And it is no lowly Imp or a mindless Scamp, but a Devil of Noble Rank, a singular entity in this world that could wipe out all of Britain in a day. I do not know about you, but I personally do not feel like celebrating, when realizing, that instead of a well-known and predictable enemy, we now have one that possesses such resources and powers at his disposal and is more cunning than all of you fools put together."

That revelation was more than enough to put down the entire mood for the celebration and caused more than one of the noble born Lords and their children to look down in shame. It wasn't something new for them all, to experience the disappointment and anger of the Dark Lord, as he could often be found in a foul mood, especially in this incarnation of his. However, now the insult cut deeper than usual, as they've finally started to realize that the cause for their celebrations should've been a warning shot from the start.

The Order of the Phoenix may've been effectively shattered and its remains were being hunted down, as was Dumbledore, but in their place now stood someone far more threatening and menacing. The Death Eaters were all Dark Wizards, strongest of their breeds and blood, all of whom had dedicated their lives to the destruction of the Light Wizards and they were more than capable of ruining them, especially when given their weaknesses. However, now against them stood a foe that was far more dangerous to them, someone who played not by the set rules of the Light Side as did the Order, but by the rules of the Dark Side.

They were now up against another Dark Lord, and one with the power, influence and determination to see himself rule without any opposition. And he has already largely squashed possibly the most powerful opposing force to him, all without even officially declaring war on them. Even more impressive and frightening, he had done it through the very people of the Magical Britain and Ministry itself. An enemy that already wielded such a power, the power which Voldemort and Death Eaters had coveted all this time and was now in the hands of the other…

It didn't take Voldemort much time or any effort to see in the eyes of many of his followers that the realization of their position had set in. However this had two effects instead of one, as Voldemort had hoped: the Death Eaters realized that House Le Fay was now a true threat, and that its power was far greater than they had originally perceived, greater than that of Voldemort even at the moment. And this second effect could have catastrophic consequences for him, as Voldemort understood perfectly that the Death Eaters were loyal to him only out of fear for their lives and greed for power.

Were someone to appear, to hold enough might to challenge and destroy Voldemort, and influential enough to give them their hearts desires, these cravens would sell him off without a second thought, with the Mark serving only as a small deterrent. Voldemort had to act quickly now, he needed to show them and everyone else that he was strong and powerful, that he wasn't done for yet and that there was still reason enough to fear him. He needed a decisive victory, something to show to his followers that he was still a force worthy of fear. And he already had something in mind…

"And now that you see just how dangerous our enemy is, there is now no more room for failure or carelessness. I shall expect from each and every one of you to give your all to our cause and if you fail me, then the punishment you receive shall be your last. Do I make myself clear?" His servants and followers nodded. "Excellent, I am glad that you understand. Now, while it is true that our enemy is worthy of my respect and caution, it is not without its weaknesses. Lucius, when you held your meeting with Lord Black, you said that Andromeda and her mudblood of a husband were there as well. Find them out, and find out everything you can about Regulus as well."

"My Lord, if you do not mind me asking, what is it that interests you in a blood traitor and that weakling?" Lucius asked of him.

"My interest is in bringing down Prince Le Fay, and to do so, we need to take away his allies. For centuries, House of Black had been regarded as the most fearsome Dark Family in Britain, one that never submitted to any Dark Lord in its entirety. Them standing with House Le Fay sends a powerful message to all of Magical World, and because of this they must fall. Arcturus may be old, but he is out of our reach, as is Cassiopeia and Bellatrix. But Andromeda and Regulus… They shall serve well as the first targets. Besides simply destroying House of Black, I sense that time has changed our dear Regulus and brought out his full power." Voldemort mused out loud. "We need to know all about our enemies, and Regulus is as much a mystery to us as is Prince Le Fay. Found out everything about him, Lucius, and then we shall be able to strike at him and Prince Le Fay."

"It shall be done, my Lord." Lucius bowed to him.

"Now, we the witch hunt for Dumbledore and his shattered flock of birds on, not to mention removal of Fudge, the Ministry and Aurors have their hands full right now. This actually presents us with a perfect opportunity to swell our ranks with those that hold no fear or doubt for our cause." Voldemort smiled at the thoughts, while his followers were realizing what he planned. "Azkaban has held many of our very best members, those that have not abandoned me even when I had been struck down by Dorea Potter. It is time they had been awarded for their loyalty and suffering."

"My Lord, with all due respect, are you certain that this is the perfect time to strike at Azkaban? For all we know, with all that is happening, Amelia Bones would've certainly taken steps to reinforce Azkaban's garrison." Lord Nott spoke. "Even with Dementors on our side, I doubt that this will be an easy victory. Perhaps, it would be prudent to wait for Rosier and his allies from Europe. His last message clearly stated that he needed just a few more days to ensure the loyalty of French and Spanish Cabals. With their numbers on our side, we'll have little trouble breaching Azkaban's defenses and freeing our comrades."

"Those Cabals respect power and might even more than gold, and if they hadn't signed the treaties with us now, they won't do it, especially when there is a far more powerful Wizard in their eyes to side with." Voldemort practically hissed at Nott. "No, we'll attack Azkaban and free our comrades. This will show the Cabals our might and strength, as well as illustrate to them the weakness of Ministry and Prince Le Fay. And speaking of Prince Le Fay and his own subjects, there is something that can be done about them. As I recall, Lord Parkinson, you have had some dealings with the Elven kind before, am I correct?"

"Yes, my Lord, but my dealings were not with High or Night Elves." Parkinson gulped. "Milord, if you mean to make contact with their kind, I must warn that dealing with the Dark Elves is far too dangerous, even for us."

"I am well aware of the risks involved in asking for help from them, Robert, but if there is one thing that Malekith desires more than just power, then it would be the enslavement of High and Night Elves, as well as their powers." Voldemort noted to him. "Reach out to him and make contact with his kin. Their power is great and combined with ours, it should be enough to grant us all what we desire and satiate his lusts, at least for a moment."

"Milord, I must urge you to reconsider. The Dark Elves are disloyal by nature and devoid of any notion of honor, and Malekith is the most devious and powerful of them all. He is surely to betray us all without a second thought once he sees an opportunity to take far more than what was promised. Need I remind you that it was their kind's betrayal that had begun the end of Grindewald's reign?" Lord Parkinson reminded Voldemort and everyone else. "There are far better options to consider. Perhaps…" Suddenly, a quick green flash illuminated the room and a sound of the slumping on to the floor body was heard after all.

The Death Eaters rose up from their seats and looked at the dead body of Robert Parkinson, his face frozen in shock at the realization of what was happening. Many of his still living compatriots paled a little, as they've turned their heads and looked at their Master, as he rose up casually from his seat and holstered his wand back. Without sparing a second look to his recent victim, he walked to now new Lord Parkinson and motioned him to rise up, which he did. Voldemort flashed him a snaky smile as he spoke up.

"Charles, I presume?" Young man hastily nodded to his Dark Lord in confirmation. "My deepest condolences. Your father's early departure from us all is a terrible tragedy to all of us here, but I am certain that you will be able to uphold your family's name and serve our cause with all your ability and might."

"I-I will do my very best for you, Milord." He bowed, still shaking a little.

"I am certain that you will, my dear boy. And it is my clearest beliefs that much like your late father, you shall carry out my will without any question, as he has done before this day."

"I will make contact with Malekith at the earliest opportunity." Charles Parkinson understood what his Lord wanted of him.

"That is all I needed to hear from you, my dear boy. I can rest easy knowing that my will shall be carried out without delays. Now, you may all go now, leave me to my thoughts." Voldemort commanded them all.

"M-Milord, may I…" Charles shakily wished to ask for his father's body, but Voldemort stopped him.

"No need to trouble yourself, my dear Charles. I shall dispose of this garbage myself. Nagini, the dinner has been served." Voldemort called out his favored snake and pet, letting her slither her way to the dead body of his former follower. "Give my love to your mother and sister, Charles. Now go, you have much to do for us all."

"Y-yes, M-Milord." He bowed again, and as Nagini sunk her teeth in the face of his now dead father, he left with the rest of the Death Eaters.

Voldemort sat down in his chair, as he was once more alone with his thoughts and plans. He knew and understood that his standing was now weaker than ever and he needed to once more regain his might. And to do so he had to go the extremes and nothing was more extreme than making a deal with Dark Elves and their Witch King Malekith. He had avoided involving them in his previous war and even went to great lengths to make it so that Dark Elves stayed on their secluded island.

The last time their involvement in the affairs of the Magical World had spelled disaster for Grindelwald, when they had obtained what they had wanted from him and far more than what was promised. It wasn't an exaggeration when Robert said that they were the beginning of the end of Voldemort predecessor's reign.

And yet, for all their treachery and deviousness, there is no denying the might, power and ruthlessness of the Dark Elves and their Witch King. They alone were enough to keep most of the Magical America and Britain occupied on them, instead of fully committing to war with Grindelwald. The carnival of destruction, chaos and madness that they had brought into the war was unspeakable, with the name of Malekith becoming a synonym to pandemonium of madness and chaos.

Even Dumbledore had feared fighting the Witch King, and the only thing that had stopped Malekith from assaulting Hogwarts, where Dumbledore hid, was an ancient deal he had to make with Salazar Slytherin, and one that even to this day he may not break. None but Malekith know the nature of this deal, but if the Witch King had made dealings with Salazar Slytherin before, then it was very much plausible that he would make deals with Voldemort. The Dark Lord wasn't afraid that Dark Elves would turn to support his enemy in form of Prince Le Fay, as House Le Fay holds sway over two main enemies of Malekith: High Elves and Night Elves.

Should Voldemort make deals with Malekith, it was most definitely possible that he was opening the Pandora's Box and throwing away the key. However, desperate times called for desperate measures, and Voldemort was truly becoming desperate.

Desperate enough to make a deal with a Devil even…

* * *

**August 22****nd****. Ministry of Magic.**

Much like always, the Ministry of Magic was abuzz with life and activity, today even more than usual, with the sudden shift of power, followed by the temporary vacuum of said power. Said power vacuum happened when Minister of Magic was arrested, along with his Undersecretary and many of his closest friends in the positions of prominence and power. Many of the most important sections of the Ministry were suddenly leaderless and in utter chaos, and it was only through sheer will and focus that Amelia Bones, now acting Minister of Magic, had managed to regain control of the situation that was posed to turn for the worse.

She had quickly managed to reign in the sections that were out of control and institute new leadership in form of her loyal friends and colleagues, as well as efficient administrators, who could take care of the assigned positions. With that out of the way, she had also taken control over Wizengamot in light of Albus Dumbledore being found guilty of many, many terrible crimes and now wanted. She was still to call in the meeting of the noble Houses, but she did intend to do so, once she had taken care of the chaos that was still gripping the Ministry. Current acting Minister was grateful to the fact that Magical Britain hadn't descended into anarchy and to the fact that Henry Le Fay was providing her the necessary manpower and resources needed to maintain her power.

In exchange for all that help, Amelia had to make concessions, most of which were a small price to pay for his support. Territories of Southern Scotland with its noble Houses were a small loss, even with losing Hogwarts as a part of the deal was pretty negligible. The nobility and some members of the Ministry may see this as too much, but when reminded of what has been happening in the past years in Hogwarts and how Dumbledore had used it as his personal playground, their voices were silenced. It was clear that until Hogwarts had been checked and cleared of any unwanted and dangerous elements, Prince Le Fay and Ministry wouldn't open it up to anyone, so for now children would have to settle for homeschooling. And as for those of mundane birth and origin, they would probably be adjusting back to living in the normal world again.

That all was something that Amelia could easily do with, but what was a tough deal to swallow to her was the involvement of Henry and House of Black when dealing with the punishments of those that had participated with the Order of Phoenix. Mainly, it concerned the confiscated items and possessions of the imprisoned, along with land. While normally this would be the job for Ministry to do, she had to concede this one to Prince Le Fay and House of Black and hope that they wouldn't be far too greedy for their own sakes. And so far they weren't, surprisingly, claiming only the items that were either previously owned by either Le Fays or by Blacks, or taking something of notable and special value. As for the land, that particular topic was still left untouched, at least for the moment.

Now, however, Rose Morgana Le Fay, also known as Rose Morgana Potter-Peverell, now official Lady Potter-Peverell, was making her way onto a meeting, which was requested by one of the last persons she had wanted to see or hear from ever again. This meeting wasn't even meant for her, as the request came for her brother to attend, but Harry had ignored it, instead being preoccupied with his current meeting with Lord and Lady Greengrass. Rose knew and understood perfectly the topic of the discussion being held between them, and so she had decided to take the matters into her own hands, when her curiosity got the better of her.

She wasn't travelling alone though, as she had an escort of Carissa and, surprisingly, Rias with her. The redheaded Le Fay was seemingly bored and decided to stretch her legs out and see how the world had changed in the time she was absent. So far, she didn't seem too impressed with the Magical World, but the Mundane World was an entirely different matter. Practically everything had fascinated the half- Devil lady, from new fashions in attire to television and automobiles. She kept asking questions and looking like a small child in a candy shop after being told he could eat all he wanted. For a few seconds there Rose had even thought that she was dealing with a small child instead of a grown woman.

Soon enough, without any mishaps, the trio reached their destination, as they stood just outside of the interrogation room. The Auror guarding the door nodded to Rose, giving her the keys and telling her to take her time, before leaving. Rose took a moment to look at the key, before gripping it. At that moment, Carissa spoke up.

"Milady, may I ask to accompany you there? Given all that has happened between the two of you and the reasons behind this meeting, it would be foolish of me to leave you alone with that person." Carissa urged. "You have no need to even be here. Surely, there are better things to do to spend free time."

"I'll have to agree with the Elf here. Why not simply ditch this meeting and go and this shopping you told me about? Do people accept gold as a payment in this time?" Rias asked all of a sudden, with Carissa shaking her head at that. "Oh, drat. Well, we can always simply exchange it with the Goblins and be on our way to one of those magnificent malls. I wonder what marvels those buildings hold…"

"If you want to go shopping, Rias, then you may do so whenever you wish, but as for me… I have to do this. Not for my brother's sake, but for my own." Rose simply stated, as she began to open the door. "You can come in with me, Carissa, just hide yourself from sight and don't make your presence known to her or me."

"Understood, Mistress." She bowed, before seemingly disappearing from the sight.

"Well, looks like I am left out of the fun. Oh well, might as well catch up on my reading." Rias conjured up for herself a chair and summoned a book, before sitting in it without seemingly a care in the world. "Don't worry. I'll make sure that no one disturbs you while you sort out your past with that woman."

"Thanks." Rias simply gave Rose a reassuring smile, before the latter pushed open the door and stepped in, before closing it behind herself.

The room was featureless and dark, with a single illuminator providing lighting to a dull and dark room. In the middle was a steel table, with two seats, one of which was occupied by Lily Potter, cuffed to her seat. She looked up from her seat with eyes full of hope and a fake smile on her face, only for it all to be distorted by a face that immediately took place next second. Her look took one of shook and scowl after that, as she realized that it wasn't the one she had expected to see.

Rose ignored that look, paying almost no attention to it, as she had expected to see it when she got in here. Instead she took a look at her former mother and progenitor, having finally been able to see one of her main tormentors in a position of weakness and at a loss of power. Even though the conditions in the Ministry's cells were relatively light, it had still taken a toll on Lily, as she looked like she didn't have even a wink of a sleep, not to mention poor condition of her cloths. Rose wasn't exactly surprised that she had broken so quickly after her imprisonment, as she had always suspected Lily of being a craven and a weakling, nothing like what she now was.

Still this very same insect, as Cassiopeia would've called her, held some answers on questions that Rose had wanted answered for many years now. This is the main reason of her being here, to finally get the answers she deserved and she will get them out of Lily, one way or another. She didn't take her seat, instead preferring to look Lily in the eyes, waiting for her to speak first to her. It didn't take that long for Rose to hear her prideful voice.

"I told the guards that I wanted to see Prince Le Fay, not his little plaything." Lily scoffed at her. "I wanted to see my son, not you. If you want to please him, Rose, then go and tell him that his mother wishes to speak with him."

"Had I wanted to please Harry, I wouldn't have come here and listen to you being so full of yourself." Rose retorted in a neutral tone. "Besides, do you really think yourself as important as to warrant a visit from my brother?"

"After all that he has done to me and his family, at least he owes us to look me in the eyes." Lily spoke up to her. "Why isn't he here, girl?"

"Because he doesn't care for you or what you have to say to him." Rose stated to her without any subtext. "In fact, when the owl arrived with the request, he didn't even spare it a second look before tossing it in to the fireplace."

"You are lying." Lily narrowed her eyes at Rose, who didn't even budge. "You've probably took that letter before him and didn't even tell him about it."

"Whatever makes you sleep better at night." Rose brushed off her comment without a care. "If you want to know, then Harry isn't even at the castle at the moment. He has important business that needs to be taken care of."

"More important than finally getting the last laugh at his mother's misery?" Lily asked with venom.

"I believe my brother had outgrown clichéd villainy, or at least moved on. Either way, he just doesn't give a damn about you, or what happens to you and William anymore." Rose simply stated to her, as she finally took a seat in front of Lily. "So, as much as it pains us both, you'll have settle for my company for the time being, because that is all the company you will be getting today, or in the nearest future. Otherwise, aside from the interrogator and a guard, you won't be seeing anyone for quite some time."

"Is that so?" Lily had asked her cockily, with Rose simply rising up from her seat and moving to the door. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Out of here, didn't you ask me to do so?" Rose asked of her as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Since you are clearly not in the mood for talking, I guess I'll just have to wait for the trial and then maybe get a chance to talk to you. Oh well…" Rose was already prepared to open up the door when Lily called out to her.

"Wait! Wait!" She practically shouted to Rose, forcing her to stop in her tracks and turn back. "If I indulge you, will you tell Harry to come to see me?"

"That depends on how productive this little talk will be, although I am curious as to why do you even want to see him. As long as I remember, you've always have tried to get rid of him." Rose walked back to the chair and sat in it. "So, what's with the change of the attitude?"

"Maybe I've finally come to appreciate him as my son and wish to make amends." Lily stated with her usual attitude, making Rose cringe a little. "Is it so hard to believe in people changing and trying to get forgiveness?"

"People may change. You? I don't think so." Rose simply stated to her, with Lily scoffing at her. "Because you are a deceitful, prideful and malicious creature. You are possibly the worst possible person to be called a mother, and I very much happy that Morgana had made me in her own daughter."

"Ah, feeling happy finally showing off you ungratefulness to me, after all the trouble I've gone for you?" Lily asked with venom.

"The only good thing you've ever done for me was giving me birth, and even that I am half certain you've done not out of kindness of your heart, but because grandmother had threatened you." Rose simply said to Lily. "Now, are you going to 'indulge' me and my curiosity, or can I go and do something far more productive, because I most certainly can do better things than keep you company."

"Fine, what is that you want to know? Just remember to tell Harry to come and see me afterwards." If Rose hadn't known any better she would've thought that Lily was practically begging her.

"That depends if you answer on just one question, Lily." Rose told her, as she leaned in a little, with Lily looking with her own curiosity at Rose. "You know, I've gotten pretty used to the reality of you hating my and Harry's very existence, like it was just a constant in the world, something that doesn't need to be questioned or asked. You and James hated Harry and he hated you, which are what I had known for most of life, and where I knew why Harry had hated the two of you, there was the either side to this entire constant."

"Oh, so you were curious as to why James and I had never really gotten around to loving you like we loved William?" Lily asked of her.

"Not exactly. It didn't take me that long to figure out why James had loved William and hated the two of us." Rose stated to Lily. "James had always been envious and jealous of his brothers, those that our grandparents have always told him to look up to, to aspire to be. But, much to their disappointment, he saw not examples to aspire to be, but obstacles and people that he could never be or match. After all, Michael was to be Lord Potter, while Gabriel was to be Lord Peverell, both of whom would've been probably the richest and most powerful lords of Magical Britain, and what of him? He would've been a simple Lord Fleamont, head of a long forgotten and an insignificant House that held very little land and too few possessions. It was never enough for James, not when in his mind he had deserved so much more, and so he decided to make his own."

"Well, maybe you are not as stupid as you seem, but how does that correlate to Harry and you, hm?" Harry asked of her.

"Simple: Harry was in the way when grandparents had made him their Heir after Gabriel and Michael was gone. They had seen what James really was and didn't want him to inherit their legacy. They didn't, however, take into the account that James wouldn't hesitate to betray them to the enemy he had fought against. Only it backfired in his face, when Henry and I were left alive and Harry was now officially Lord Potter-Peverell, one thing that James desired above all." Rose answered to Lily. "As for me, he probably saw in me a weak and useless thing, a tool to be used and disposed of. After all, I wasn't a key to being the greatest celebrity of Magical Britain, nor was I a true inheritor of a great fortune, so I wasn't even important enough for him to care or love me. I doubt he was even capable of such things as love and caring for another being."

"Pft, I can't believe that I say this, but I have to agree on this one." Lily surprisingly said to Rose. "James never even knew how to love or care for a woman, much less someone like me. The only thing he was good at was presenting himself like a loving father and a perfect husband, but in reality… He was never even that good in bed."

"So you never even loved him?" Rose asked of her, with Lily looked at Rose with amused eyes.

"Loved him? No, I never did. Lusted for him, maybe once, but love?" Lily asked of Rose. "What good is love without the money, power, influence and recognition? I never loved that ponce, but I did love what being his wife had brought me- status."

"Status? Is this all you've ever even cared for? Just being seen as an important person?" Rose asked of her, with Lily answering her.

"What else is there for me to care for, girl?" Lily asked of Rose. "Did you really think that I could ever stand that self-righteous prick James for more than 10 minutes if he wasn't loaded like he was? Do you think that it was his boyish charms and roguish attitude that had let him bed me? No, it was the bank account and his name that had opened him the way in my bed."

"You… You've spread your legs before him… Because of _that_?!" Lily smirked at the shocked expression of her daughter.

"Is it such a shock for you, my dear, to find out why all those marriages are arranged for?" Lily asked of Rose. "Of course I let him have his way with me just so that I could get what I wanted. I even made sure that he would be tied up with me for the rest of his life, thanks to a small fertility potion I took beforehand. A mistake that I should've never even done had I known that it would cost me what was rightfully mine."

"Harry… You've conceived Harry, so that James would be forced to marry you, but in the process…"

"I've been ousted and exiled from my rightful place as an Heiress of House Stuart." Lily growled out to Rose. "They called me a whore and a skank, when they had found out what I had done. They were too damn proud and idiotic to realize that I was doing the House a favor by picking up a worthy enough husband. At least one that was available and dumb enough to fall for me, unlike those damn brothers of his. I did try my luck with them, but both were oh so righteous and virtuous to their loves. Did you think that James was even my _first _choice? Oh no he wasn't, had he only known of that…" Lily continued to speak out her mind as if she was possessed, while Rose seemingly tuned out of it all.

She was finally getting the answers she had wanted, and even though she had suspected that the truth would cut her deep and hurt her more than she would expect, this was still painful enough to listen. She didn't even know what she had wanted to hear, maybe that Lily simply followed her husband's wishes and did those bad things to stay in his good graces, or that she was simply under a bad spell. Anything like that would've convinced Rose that the woman that had tortured her and made her life miserable wasn't doing it because she liked it.

Deep down, much to shock of even herself, she had hoped that there was good in Lily, that she was still redeemable. A notion like this would've made her Black siblings laugh, but to Rose… She didn't even know why, but she _craved _to believe in it. And to hear, that this woman, this _creature_, had never even loved anyone, and didn't even know the notion of it. She had conceived Harry only to get what she wanted: power and status of the Potter family. She didn't get it, and instead lost what she could've had, and Harry was instead taken by Dorea and Charlus, two people that would love him and raise him as their own. This much was evident to Rose now, but that still didn't answer the main question she had for Lily.

"Why did you hate so much?!" Rose slammed her hands on the table, as she rose up in fury, cutting off Lily's tirade. "What the hell have I ever done to you, that you've made my life a living hell?! I may've not been born a messiah or a goddess or whatever you wanted to come out of your damn womb, but I was innocent of everything, and yet you've despised my very existence. Why?!"

"Why, you ask me? Because you've taken away from me what I deserved and what I was left with." Lily hissed at her, surprising Rose. "I never even planned on having you, not after I was through carrying those two brats for James, but that idiot's seed took root in me again, even though I had tried to undo it, but that old bitch Dorea found out about it and stopped me. I will tell you, that you were by far the most difficult and painful one to come out of me, and you've came not without taking away from me the one thing I was left with, something that was of value to other noble Houses- my womb."

That's right Rose- your birth had been so bad for me, that it had left me an infertile shell of my former self. You took away from me one thing with which I could've bound some other idiot Lord to me, if and when James no longer suited me." Lily continued. "The moment I had found out about it, my only thought was to get my hands on you and reap what vengeance and justice I could from you, but I couldn't. And if that wasn't enough grief for me, I had soon found out that Charlus and Dorea had even reached out to House Stuart, and were in a process of restoring your status as possible members of it. They were going to give you what I was robbed of, and for that I truly hate you, Rose. You've taken away from me the last value I had and was given on a silver platter what was mine by birthright."

Rose listened to what Lily had to say to her, and the more she listened, the more she wished that she didn't. She had wanted to come here and find out truth, to maybe understand this woman, and now… Now she had wished she listened to her brother and stayed home. Without listening anymore to what Lily had to blab out of her vile mouth, Rose stood up and hastily left the room, ignoring shouts, and soon pleads from Lily. As she had slammed the door behind her, she allowed her composure to drop and began to breath heavily, as the shock and pain at the realization had set in. Carissa once more revealed herself and was at Rose side within a moment's notice, as was Rias with her worried expression.

"She… She…" Was all that Rose could say to them.

"Milady, that woman is clearly mad and doesn't deserve to have her words taken seriously. She knows she is beaten and only wants to make you feel miserable, so as to somehow sweeten the sourness of her defeat." Carissa said to her, with Rias nodding to her.

"Whatever she had told you, Rose, it doesn't matter anymore. She'll never be able to set a foot out of a prison, and she'll never hurt you or Henry or anyone else." Rias told her, as she hugged poor girl closer to her.

"I simply wanted to understand, t-to reach out and, but she is…" Rose didn't even have the strength to finish up what she had to say, as the air became too heavy for her to speak.

Rias and Carissa understood that the young Princess Le Fay was in distress, and did their best to comfort her. And as they did that, Rose had to come to a sad conclusion about herself, a fact that was all too painful to admit: she was an idealistic fool. After everything that had happened to her, all that was done to her and others, she still believed not in the reality, but in the best possible outcome and wished to embrace it. She had allowed her hope to blind her and expose her weakness to Lily, so that she may use it to strike at her.

And strike she did, and it had hurt her far too much. She wasn't like Harry, that Rose had to admit. She wasn't hopeless and it was true about her, and she wasn't without illusions. She had already seen what such illusions could do to even the greatest of people and how they could destroy their lives. She would have to get rid of these delusions, or face the same end as all the fools that had allowed hope to bind and shackle their mind.

She'll have to kill the girl in her and let the woman take its place. A woman of House Le Fay, of Potter blood and of Black heritage.

* * *

**A month… I must apologize to you, as I had not even anticipated that I would be bringing you this chapter after a bloody month long period, but I did. I am deeply sorry that I have done so, and I hope you can forgive me. To ease your minds, I haven't abandoned this story and I don't plan to, as for the reason as to why I haven't been present all this time is simple: I got sick.**

**Not in a way of being bored by fanfiction, no. I caught an infection about two and a half weeks ago, when I was returning home by a bus from Ulyanovsk to my hometown. This time of the year, we have a very miserable weather and it's a season when people get sick the most. I have, thanks to my mom, a medical expert, a very strong immune system, so I didn't pay any attention. But it seems I wasn't as lucky as I was in the previous years, as the day after I returned I was running a fever and couldn't even think straight. I was put in an isolated section of our hospital for infectious deceases, where I had spent a week and a half, until I was cleared. While there, I had practically no internet connection and only could read Fanfiction that I loaded in phone, which I did. By now, I have fully recovered and I am back, ready to put out at least three or four more chapters until the end of the year, so I hope you can understand and forgive my absence.**

**Now, you know the drill, so I won't tell you what to do, but I do have a request to make. I have been making some research into J. R.R. Tolkien and his fantasy, and I would like any of you who are familiar on a deep level with it to contact me via PM. The reason for this is because I may be planning a new story to take place next year, one that is connected with the world of Lord of the Rings, and it may also be my very first full on crossover.**

**Anyway, thank you for your patience and hope you enjoyed the story.**

**Next time: A calm before the storms.**


	21. Chapter 21

**August 26****th****. Albion's Hearth. Prince Le Fay's personal study**

Like any person of the noble and high standing in the Wizarding World, Prince Le Fay was no stranger to the official business that was conducted between the Noble Houses and their respective Lords. Being a Noble with a Royal Bloodline and now a significant number of vassal Houses, Henry had to immerse himself in the dealings of said Houses, or else suffer from a disorder and chaos. And an ancient blood feud between two Noble Houses that have both pledged their allegiance to House Le Fay was no small matter, not when both of the Lords have decided to take advantage of the chaotic situation in the country and resume their bloody business.

Although it had been only five days, the Magical Britain was now practically unrecognizable from the one that was before this entire business with Order of the Phoenix had begun. Hundreds of the Wizards and Witches were arrested, all caught in a conspiracy and in connections with the Order, with many of them being of the Noble descent. Dozens still were unaccounted for and wanted for questioning, including the head of this cabal, Albus Percival Wulfrick Brain Dumbledore.

Speaking of the man himself, after the reveal of his part in the entire thing, he had officially been stripped of all honors, rewards, titles and possessions, with all of his bank accounts having been seized by Goblins. As for his status as a worldwide hero and effectively head of the International Confederacy of Wizards, it too had been revoked and approved by the Confederacy, having been presented with the proof of Dumbledore's crimes. Former Headmaster of Hogwarts was now the most wanted person on the face of the Earth in the Wizarding World.

Hogwarts itself, along with all of its surrounding grounds, were now officially closed off for an undetermined time and it was quite possible that it wouldn't be open again. If it's new holder and ruler wished it to be so, then the Ministry of Magic would be forced to look for a new place in which to teach children of England all that they needed to know of Magic. That's not to mention the fact of House Le Fay expanding their borders to include all of Southern Scotland and its 12 Noble Houses that populated the area. The new Minister of Magic, Amelia Bones had kept her word and officially handed over the control of the area to Henry, on the same terms as were established and recognized ages ago, before the very formation of the Ministries. And now it were two of those very Houses that had recently pledged their allegiance to Henry, that were bickering right in front of him.

House Wulfheart and House de Orleans were two relatively minor families, with the former tracing its origins from Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, while the latter was of the French and Norman descent having come into Britain during the tumultuous years of the Hundred Years War, when they were exiled from the city of Orleans. Two different in culture and nurture Houses had been at each other's throats ever since King Henry V had granted House de Orleans a strip of land that bordered with House Wulfheart.

And the Lords of the latter House had always felt that they were robbed of their own property, while the Lords of the former looked with contempt and barely hidden resentment at their northern neighbors. The official reason for their feud was in alleged murder of Lady de Orleans at the hands of the eldest son of Lord Wulfheart, thought it had never been confirmed to be truthful. The way Henry saw it: these two Houses just liked getting at each other's throats whenever they had the chance and now they were doing it again, trying to get rid of one another. As he sat on his throne, nursing the upcoming headache, with Irene at his left side, and David Greengrass at his right, they all listened as the two Lords entered another pitched round of convincing him and trying to outdo each other in the process.

"Your Highness, I believe that for a man as enlightened and intelligent as you are, sire, it would be but a second's matter to see that this upstart barbarian is clearly trying to discredit your most loyal and able vassals, while also promoting in secret the interests of that scum Dumbledore." Lord Andre de Orleans spoke in a voice so sweet, that one could all but taste it. "Surely, it is not very wise to trust such rabble, especially when they have raising their cups and praising Dumbledore and all his deeds for many years now."

"Like you have never done so yourself, you sniveling snake. Sire, this man and his entire family have all been arse lickers to Dumbledore, much like all of his Slytherin friends, and I wouldn't be all too surprised to find out that he had also was in leagues with those that still support He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Lord Edward Wulfheart countered, with Henry restraining himself from groaning openly. "Milord, give the command, and I swear that with your arms and men I shall personally throw this rabble and all of his upstart siblings out in the cold waters of North Sea and deliver their possessions to you and…"

"My armies and my arms are my own to command, Lord Edward, and I will not spread them around like mercenaries for anyone wishing to settle some kind of minor dispute, like this one." Prince Henry replied in an annoyed tone of voice, with both Lords looking shocked to hear him speak like that. "I've asked of you to give the reasons for you resuming this centuries old feud, yet all I continue to hear are accusations, insults and honeyed words, but nothing on the matter at hand."

"Sire, surely you don't mean to consider our feud as a minor dispute, do you? You can't possibly think that these damned schemers can get away from justice for claiming my House responsible for what we had not done!" Lord Wulfheart spoke up in a bit of shocked tone, while Lord Greengrass produced from his pocket an old looking document.

"Lord Wulfheart, Lord de Orleans, are you aware of the contents of this document?" Both Lords shook their heads, denying any knowledge. "This is the copy of an account of the Wizengamot Session, dating September 31st 1891. During said session, Wizengamot had managed to reach a conclusion of your feud, with a documented resolution still being in the possession of the Wizengamot and safely stored in Archives. The resolution of the feud had been officially witnessed by the Minister of Magic at the time, Chief Warlock and all Noble Houses, with both of your predecessors having signed the treaty and swearing to never again raise any form of dispute on the grounds of your previous feud. In other words, the feud which you, supposedly, claim to be the reason of this altercation, has been settled over a hundred years ago and is thus far null."

"Milord, if you were only to listen…" Lord de Orleans tried to speak up to Prince Henry, who raised his hand, stopping him.

"I have spent all morning listening to you two and it has already given me quite a headache." Henry spoke up in a firm voice. "Now it is you who shall listen to me, and listen you will and well. As a Noble, and as one of the Royal origin, I can understand wishing to settle old scores with my enemies and enemies of my House. However, I am not one to resume already settled wars, and I am certainly not one to drag others into my schemes, especially as moronic as these!" Henry practically shouted at them.

"Milord, I…" Lord Wulfheart wasn't given a chance to speak up.

"I know full well what this all about and it is not about a long dead wife of a lord and her supposed killer. Both of you are simply dissatisfied with the lands and holdings you possess and want to expand them, so naturally you thought that a young, inexperienced and seemingly naïve Prince Le Fay would be most generous to deliver you want you wanted in exchange for an oath of allegiance and some honeyed words, am I correct?" Henry knew from the looks on their faces that he was correct. "I am perfectly aware of the fact that the majority of my vassals in the past had supported Dumbledore, and your words are nothing new for me to hear. Now as for this entire matter about death of Lady de Orleans and the resolution of it, you two and your Houses will abide by the treaty made by your predecessors and put this entire business finally to rest."

"But, Sire, we…" Lord de Orleans tried again to speak up, but he was stopped by Irene.

"Prince Le Fay has made his judgment of this situation and has made his decision regarding this situation. You are to put an end to any and all altercations and animosity between the two Houses and return your affairs in order as they were prior to the beginning of this affair. As a punishment for your deception of His Highness, Houses Wulfheart and de Orleans are to compensate House Le Fay by providing 15 percent of your households' current incomes over the period of a year." The two Lords looked shocked at hearing it. "Failure to do so will result in House Le Fay gaining the right to seize whatever property and items needed to cover for the unaccounted money. Should you continue your altercations, the severity of the consequences shall be increased quite a great deal. Good to you, milords." Irene finished, with the two Lords deciding not to dispute the decision and simply left.

"I thought they wouldn't leave even after hearing of this account." Lord Greengrass let out a sigh, as he put the document back in his pocket. "Just out of curiosity, was there even a murder of the Lady de Orleans or was it just some false reason or something?"

"As far as I am aware, Lord Greengrass, there was no murder of any Lady de Orleans in 16th century, only that Lady Catherina de Orleans, also known as "Lady Airhead" had went riding on her horse and somehow managed to fall off a cliff and break her neck." Irene stated to Lord Greengrass, who cocked an eye brow up. "Like her name implied, the Lady was quite light in the head and with little to no contents in her head, a fact well known to the public. The whole story of her dying at the hands of future Lord Wulfheart was made by House de Orleans in a vain attempt to save face after such an embarrassment."

"If they wanted to just get rid of each other, they should've simply blamed one another of being a supporter of Dumbledore, like all the other vassals seems to do nowadays." David Greengrass shook his head at the fact. "42 House have now pledged their allegiance to House Le Fay, and 20 of those Houses are at each other's throats because of the Order and Dumbledore, and with good reasons to back it up. They seem to think that by pledging their fealty to you, Prince Le Fay, they get out of the entire ordeal mostly unscathed. After all, how could a supporter of Dumbledore pledge his services, loyalty and House to Dumbledore's most dangerous foe?"

"Something will need to be done about it, Your Highness, and quickly." Irene spoke up again. "The distress they could cause with their feuding could be enough to destabilize your position. What would be your decision regarding this situation?"

"We need solid information on who was and is involved with the Order, and who isn't. David, speak with Lord Longbottom, he knows better than anyone who were included in Dumbledore's Order. Once I have the names, I'll deal with them accordingly and with swiftness." Henry stated.

"And how, exactly, do you plan on dealing with them, if you don't mind me asking?" David asked of Henry, who looked him in the eye and spoke again.

"Same way we dealt with the rest of the Order and its supporters." Henry simply stated to him. "Lords and Ladies, along with any members that were directly involved, will be extradited to the Ministry. And if their replacements decide to raise an issue with that, we'll remind them that it is more profitable and safe to be loyal to House Le Fay than to disobey it."

"Dismantle the leadership, install the new one and buy them through your connections and wealth." David Greengrass surmised, nodding to him. "I will contact him first thing once I return home. Which also reminds me, would you be interested in attending a dinner at our house tonight, milord? My wife and I thought that it would be appropriate for us to connect through an informal gathering, not to mention give you a chance to further deepen your connection with Daphne. Lady Davis has already agreed to come, so if you could…"

"A generous offer, Lord Greengrass, but I am afraid that I won't be available for this evening, an urgent matter of utmost importance needs to be resolved as soon as possible and I can't delay it any longer. Please give your wife and daughters my love and sincerest apologies on behalf. Now, if there is nothing else…" Henry rose up from his seat and Lord David bowed to him a little, with Henry leaving the hall.

"This is a third invitation to attend a dinner from his friends he turned down, if I am not mistaken." David commented out loud, once Henry was out of the earshot. "It's like he has distanced himself everyone, even from his closest friends and loved ones. Even today and days before he seemed… distanced, reserved and even somewhat uncaring."

"Lord Greengrass, I apologize if my Lord's behavior had insulted you in any form or manner." Irene spoke up. "The last week, and one before have not been kind to him and it has put quite great deal of strain on his shoulders. The entire ordeal concerning Order of Phoenix and the damage they have caused House Le Fay and its allies has deprived us all of rest."

"No insult was made, Lady Irene, and I can understand that he is going through a lot." Lord Greengrass spoke up in an understanding tone. "Miss Tonks must've been very important to him and he clearly hasn't let go of her and the fact that she is no longer at his side."

"She meant a world to him, milord. Only Lady Tracey and Lady Rose mean as much to him as Lady Nymphadora." Irene spoke up again. "I fear that the wound left in the wake of her death has yet to be healed, if it ever will be. He may not show it, but…" Irene trailed off not finding the words, with Lord David understanding what she meant.

"I think I know what he is going through, a moment in life when he questions if all that he does is worth doing and if it's worth the sacrifices made." David said with experience in his voice. "I know this is not my place to dictate him how to act, since I am a vassal to him. But, if I were to give him an advice, if he were to ask it of me, I would advise him to not distance himself away from all of us. I do not know the reasons for his isolation, but right now, in these times, we can't afford ourselves to be isolated from each other. Good day to you, Lady Irene."

"Good day to you as well, Lord Greengrass." Irene bowed a little before him, until he left the hall and castle, leaving the keeper of House Le Fay with her own thoughts.

As much as Irene may have wanted to deny it, but she had to confront the truth about her current liege. She wasn't blind and didn't have a blind loyalty to him, even if her loyalty was one that couldn't be questioned under any circumstances. That being said, she did however close her eyes to what she had been able to access about her Lord and what made him what he was, more specifically she turned the blind eye to the fact that her Lord was not well.

Physically, he was in the best of health, but spiritually… Henry was not well. In fact, Irene could even state that he was practically beyond what was considered to be spiritually drained, and yet Henry simply kept going on and forward, ignoring everything that had happened to him and resolving not to let it stop him. And Irene full well that there were things that could've broken a lesser man and there many of them, too many to simply forget about. She knew no man that had to suffer and endure as much pain as he did and yet still persist. Irene couldn't help but admire Henry for his iron will and steel determination, something that even a Devil could be envious of.

Unfortunately, she had forgotten that Henry was a man, and a man can only ignore pain for so long, until it finally spills out and consumes him. Add to the fact that this pain was growing, and there is no denying that sooner or later Henry was going to be unable to deal with it. And it seems that this point had come, as Henry had begun to grow distant from everyone around him, even his own sister Rose. He would spend hours alone, not in a company of those that were his friends and family. He has already refused to dine twice with Arcturus and Regulus, his blood and closest allies, isolating himself even front those that were supposed to be his closest allies.

And while he was distancing away from those that were close to him, Irene knew for a fact that he was becoming more and more obsessed with the task he had set for himself: ridding the world of Dumbledore and Voldemort for good. He has taken the advice of Lady Morgana to heart, and now that very same advice seem to have become the reason why he was growing apart from everyone else and becoming single-minded, just like he was before becoming Prince Le Fay. Irene understood, that as the things are right now, Lord David's advice was sound and to the point. Even if Henry was to defeat both Dumbledore and Voldemort alone, the price for their defeats could be too much for him to handle alone, and he needed to see it so.

A firm hand and harsh reprimand wouldn't be of any effect here, Irene understood that it would only close him off even more from everyone else. No, right now it wasn't Morgana Le Fay that should be helping Harry, but someone who was his family, one that cares about him and his well-being. He needs someone who knew what was underneath Henry Arthur Le Fay.

She needed someone who knew the real Harry Potter. With sigh, she opened up a portal and stepped through it, intending to help her Prince heal, or at least let out the pain that consumed him. And knowing who was he was and his memories, there was only one person that came to mind capable of doing what needed to be done.

* * *

**Several hours later. Prince Le Fay's personal study.**

Henry stood at the fireplace, watching the flame dance on the wood and slowly burn it away, feeling the heat coming from it. Even though the heat of the fire was something hard to ignore from such close distance, Henry paid little to no mind to it, at least trying not to, as it reminded him of something he wished not to remember right now. He had neither time, nor desire to indulge in any form of angst as there were things more important to be done. With a shake of the head, he returned to what he was thinking before he allowed his mind to wonder off.

The Order was in shambles and crippled beyond repair, that much was clear to Henry, with its members now declared criminals and hunted within and beyond England. With his own forces committed to the search, he was certain that the complete destruction of the Order was a matter of weeks and was assured. However, it was not the Order that troubled Henry, but its leader, Albus Dumbledore, who had mysteriously vanished without a trace and without any means to track him down. Henry had to admit to himself, that his hope in catching Dumbledore with Hogwarts was a bit naïve, but even he was surprised at the fact of Dumbledore so easily discarding his Order and leaving them to the wolves. Such act of ruthless practicality and betrayal was something he would've expected from Voldemort, but not from the Leader of the Light.

Yet he needed to remember that Voldemort had learned from the best when he had attended Hogwarts and it was possible that he had learned more than just Transmutations from Dumbledore. Still, the fact that the old goat had discarded his beloved Order so easily and without hesitation meant that Dumbledore still had some kind of a backup plan at works and one that was a full proof, at least in Dumbledore's opinion. Henry didn't know what kind of an ace in the hole Dumbledore still had at his disposal, but he had to assume that whatever it was, it was more than enough to give him one hell of battle. If this was true, then it would be prudent for Henry to find Dumbledore as soon as possible.

But until the goat was found, there was the matter with Voldemort that needed to be settled. The removal of the Order and the upheaval in Ministry with the recent removal of a large portion of its bureaucracy had most certainly given Voldemort the opportunity to move without being noticed. Henry was certain that his Slytherin distant kin would not hesitate to milk this opportunity to the fullest, and that was not something he could allow. And if Voldemort was smarter than most of his minions, then he had certainly by now recognized Prince Le Fay as not just a threat, but as a major opponent and obstacle on his path. If that was the case, Henry could expect to become the center of Voldemort's undivided attention.

Harry knew for a fact that he needed to deal with him quickly, before the snake slipped out of his grasp and struck at him. He had already asked Amelia for a private meeting to discuss this with her and he already had a rough plan of action put in place. He had more than enough resources to do the job, and all that required was the green light from the current Minister of Magic. Once it was given, his forces would deal with the Death Eaters in a matter of hours and finally remove the threat of the great and terrifying Dark Lord Voldemort from the face of the Earth for good this time, never to return again.

His planning and thoughts were stopped when he heard a door open, forcing Henry lean away from the fireplace and turn to the door.

"I had asked not to be disturbed. What is that you want, Ir…" Henry shut up mid-word once he had turned and saw who stood in front of him, his eyes widening at the surprise. "A-Andromeda?" He stuttered with the word, as his eyes fell upon a woman that was the mother of his beloved and a surrogate mother to him.

Before him indeed stood Andromeda Tonks, dressed in a black wizard robe, with her dark eyes looked straight into his mismatched ones. He had expected to find in them anger, hatred and fury, for he had deprived her of the most precious person in the entire world- her daughter, Nymphadora. There was no denying of that fact, as Harry was the one who had put a target on her back, and he had not had the courage to confront both of the grieving parents ever since he woke up.

An act of cowardice, one that he couldn't deny, and it would seem that Andromeda was fed up with waiting for Henry to come to her and ask her and Ted's forgiveness. Instead she chose to come to him instead and reap whatever satisfaction she could from the person that took her daughter's life. Harry had steeled himself for it, knowing that there was no denying anymore and he needed to do this. And just as he had prepared and steadied himself for the fury and anger to be unleashed towards him, he heard not a shout, but a near faint whisper.

"Harry…" Harry stood stunned when he saw Andromeda giving him a small smile, unable to comprehend what was going on. "I am glad that you woke up. Thank goodness you've recovered… I-I am sorry that I haven't visited you."

Shocked to the very core, Harry couldn't understand why Andromeda spoke to him like that. He voice carried no malice or anger, but relief, one thing he last expected from her. How could she even stand him, much less be so glad to see him?

"N-no, Andromeda, you have nothing… You have nothing to apologize for." Harry stuttered again, before he collected his bearings and steeled himself again. "You don't need to pretend, Andromeda. I know what you truly think and I deserve your hatred."

"Harry, what are you talking…" Andromeda seemed confused, but Harry continued.

"I-I know that I should've come to see you and Ted once I was awake, but I… I know I deserve your anger and hatred for what happened to Nym, but…" Harry was about to continue, when Andromeda suddenly stepped forward and without any hesitation or sign… pulled him into a hug. "An-Andromeda, what are you doing?" Harry asked her, shocked to the core at her actions.

"I-I am just glad… I am just glad, th-that m-my son is a-alive." Andromeda sobbed in his chest, not seeing Harry's widening eyes. "I-I could never hate you, H-Harry. Y-You… You are my and T-Ted's son, b-blood o-or no b-blood. W-We sh-shouldn't h-have l-left you alone…"

Harry stood there frozen as the woman that had in many ways replaced Dorea and raised him as if he was her own hugged him. Andromeda was special in his heart, not just because she was a mother to Nym or because she was a Black, but because she was the one that knew his heart. Arcturus and Cassiopeia had cared for him, but in their own way and they did not let themselves to pry into Henry's soul and heart. They knew that he was hurt, that he was hurt badly and that pain of what had happened was always with him and wasn't going away. They didn't offer him a supportive shoulder to cry on, instead they respected Harry's wishes of carrying on and not stopping. They respected him and saw him as a grown up, as someone with whom they needed to talk to as an equal to them.

But Andromeda was different, she didn't see a strong man in Harry, but a boy who had been through far too much for him to handle, and who still kept going forward, ignoring the agony burning inside of him. Andromeda, in words of Cassiopeia, was always considered by Blacks to be one with the softest of hearts and easy to connect with others. She saw it as both a weakness and as a strength, and Andromeda had used her trait well to come to know Harry as not just a distant kin of hers, but as a surrogate son. A son that needed her now more than ever, and despite her own grief she was going through, Andromeda needed to there for him, right now. Especially now, when she felt with her heart that Harry was hurting inside more than ever and that he was practically alone.

With a rugged breath, Harry had gently pushed Andromeda away from him. Once she was a couple of steps away from him, looking at him with a surprised look, filled with tears, he spoke to her.

"Wh-why are you doing this, Andromeda?" Harry asked of her. "Is this your way to torture me, hm? Do you want me to lower my guard, to lull me into some form safety, so that you may tear me apart? Why don't you just go ahead and do it already, I know that this is what you want."

"Harry, I am not here to anything to you, and… It was not your fault." Andromeda told him firmly. "Nym's death, her blood is not on your hands, Harry."

"Not on my hands? NOT MY FAULT?!" He shouted at Andromeda. "How in the blazes can say that, Andromeda?! Had I not been as stupid as I was, she wouldn't have been captured. Had I not been as focused on what I wanted to accomplish, she wouldn't have had to spy for them. If I really cared about, if I truly had loved her, if I hadn't put my damn pride ahead of her, I would've convinced her to stay out of it all, but no… No, I have done _nothing _to prevent what had happened to her, especially when I could. No, her blood, her death… It is all on me. Everything… Everything is my fault, all that has happened…" Harry said with a ragged breath at the end.

"What do you mean by everything, Harry?" She asked of him, morbidly curious to find out what did he mean by that.

"What do I mean? Everything, Andromeda! Every single damn thing that had happened to Rose, to you and Ted, to my grandparents! All of this is my damn fucking fault!" Harry shouted at her, as tears began to well up in his eyes, with Andromeda looking shocked at him. "My grandparents died because Voldemort had come for me and I couldn't do anything to stop him. Nym died because I had allowed her go on with my damn desires for revenge. Kingsley died because he was with me, going through with my plans. Rose… Rose had nearly died at the hands of Riddle because I was too close to his secrets, and then she was tortured by Potters when I left her… All of this… And I am the cause of all this…"

"No!" She firmly said to him, as she took a closer to step to him took him by surprise, when she grabbed his arms and nearly shook him. "Harry, how can you say all of this? You are not responsible for all of this, and you weren't the one who hurt us all. Dorea and Charlus had died because they protected their grandchildren whom they loved and cared for, but you aren't the reason they had died, no! James was the one to sacrifice them and his own children to Voldemort, so that he could take what he wanted. You were just a victim, just as Rose was. You have always put Rose before yourself and your own safety and you have always did everything to keep her safe, but not even you could protect her from becoming a victim of your parents' cruelty or schemes of Dumbledore and Voldemort. Had you not held your tongue at court, Rose would've died in Azkaban, and no one could've known that James and Lily would do to her what they did!"

"And Nymphadora… My daughter, my sweet Nym… You weren't one to put her on the path she chose. She did what she did because it the right thing to do, because it meant saving lives and protecting innocent from the games of the megalomaniacs. She knew her duty, and despite how much I wanted her not to do it… Nym wouldn't stop, because it was the right thing to do. Dumbledore and the Order had taken her away from us, Harry, but you are not the reason she died, Harry! The reason why she died is because did her damn duty, and she protected those she the man she loved, the man is a son to me in all but blood, and a son that I had abandoned when he needed support the most!" Andromeda's eyes welled with tears and they spilled out, as she sobbed and cried out loud.

Harry's own tears didn't stop either, but he stood frozen after what he had heard her say. No retort could come to him and no argument could be formulated in his mind. Instead of trying to debate his guilt, he decided to stop following with his mind, and let his heart decide what to do, and it madly yearned embrace the woman that stood in front of him. Stepping closer to her, he carefully wrapped his arms around her pulling Andromeda in an embrace, as she sobbed with her son, letting out her grief, sharing it with Harry, as he shared his own grief.

They didn't know for how long they stood their together, nor did they care, but eventually they detached from each other, as they moved to the sofa, with Andromeda's eyes looking at her son, before she collected her bearings and spoke up.

"Harry, how are you holding up?" She simply asked of him, knowing what to say to him and how to unravel him, knowing that in front of her he would be honest. "After all that has happened… You can't keep going on like, Harry, not after all that has happened."

"I… I don't even know how I am doing it all to be honest. Half the time… I feel like I'm just going in circles, Andromeda." Harry admitted to her in a hollow voice. "This damn war, all that I have done… It's like the universe just can't let me have a life when I don't have suffer or make others suffer for what I had done. I can't even imagine at this point what it would be like, to have a life without having to always be afraid someone will definitely hurt Rose or take someone precious from me. All my life I lived with pain, suffering from just being alive and hurting my loved once with just my presence: Nym, Rose, Tracey, Dorea, Charlus… Sometimes I think that it would've been better for everyone if I just… If I had just died that night, Andromeda."

"You can't be serious, Harry." Andromeda spoke to him softly. "How can you think that your death would've been better for us all? If you were to die that night, Dorea and Charlus wouldn't have lived, because they would kill Voldemort still at the cost of their lives. And then, with you three dead, James would claim the Lordships, and with William as the Chosen One, do you think the life would've been better for Rose?"

"No… No, it would've been a nightmare, worse than what had happened." Harry admitted in a near whisper, putting his head on his hands. "She would be alone, or worse…"

"And without you, do you think Tracey would've been able to find someone who would accept her as you have?" Andromeda asked of him, with Harry struggling to answer. "You told me yourself that she was alone, with near no friends and afraid for her life because of her gift. Yet you accepted her and gave something precious, something you shared with Nym- your love to them."

"And yet everyone who I love and loves me back suffers because of my existence." Harry said sadly.

"Yes, but we don't deny your existence and we don't shun, and Nym never did and we wouldn't want to be separated from you, Harry. You are a part of many lives and you are dear to many of those that care for you." Andromeda spoke to him. "Dumbledore and Voldemort, they play with the lives of those they see beneath them, toying with them like puppeteers, caring not for their lives and feelings. They see the world as a playground, a chessboard through which they can decide their fate, ignoring the figures and pawns with which they play."

"You are different, Harry, because for them you are someone who dared to defy them their game, their rules. You too play the game, but you are stronger and more powerful than both of them, not just because of sheer might and power. You value others, lives of other people, you see them as people and not as tools like Dumbledore and Voldemort. You are not above humanity like they are, you embraced it, and that is why people connect with you and love you." Andromeda told him. "Those two can't accept it, they can't accept the fact of a _human_ standing in their way, a human that had risen from being swept away like nothing in games of others. They've thrown away their humanity, Harry, because it hurt too much to them to be human, or because they simply didn't have someone to care for. They may seem strong, but let me ask you this: what is behind all their might, power and looks?"

Harry thought about the question for a minute, pondering about the answer, until he had compared himself with both of them. And suddenly, once he had realized what Andromeda talked about, he answered.

"They are alone, shallow and with nothing to them. They don't anything, beside the power and the thirst for it." Harry answered, with Andromeda nodded to him.

"And you have far more than that, Harry: family." She embraced her son again, and this time Harry didn't hesitate to accept her. "Family stands for each other, Harry, and fights for those they love and care for. It is a source of great power, not a weakness to be disposed of. Without it, without love… We are weaker than ever." She hugged her son tightly, closing her eyes.

Harry's tears fell openly from his eyes, but they were not the eyes of grief or anger, but of relief and acceptance. For the first time in many years, he had let out his pain, the hurt that kept agonizing him and which he kept under wraps inside of him. All of it had become too much for him to bear, to control and keep inside of him. He had managed to keep hidden, all of it, but when he heard his grandmother's voice, the one he couldn't even wish to hear…

After elation and joy, it had brought back to him the memories of all that had happened, all that he had lost and all the pain he had endured. The reminding of all of it was practically too much for him, and he couldn't endure to take even more. He didn't even notice how he had drifted away from all that were near him, practically pushing away all that were dear to him and wanted to help him. It was as if he wanted to distance himself away from pain and distance everyone else from himself, to make sure that they don't get hurt, but that isn't the way to go about it. He couldn't ignore the pain, but he couldn't push away what caused that pain, his humanity and his connections to others. If he did that, he would become the very people that he hated the most, and he couldn't bear to do so. No he wouldn't become Dumbledore or Voldemort.

He would be better than them, he already was, because he had his humanity and he won't forsake it. He will defeat them, even if further battles hurt him and those around him, but he will go on. Not just because of himself, but because lives of all he cared and loved were at stake and he would fight for them. He will not see them fall prey to the plans of those that saw themselves above them.

He will fight. He will care. He will love. He will grief and move forward, because he had his soul and humanity.

He would never be Dumbledore's or Voldemort's equal, but he will be better than them.

* * *

**Feels like one of my weaker chapters, but I think it was needed to show a bit more of my main character side, show his humanity and that all that has happened to him didn't just wash over him and didn't just shape him up as he was. It scarred and hurt Harry and it still with him, even if he doesn't show it. He is human, and that makes him stronger, and even if this looks silly and makes him look like a pansy, I do think that this is needed, a closure for his inner struggle, because the war is coming to a serious phase.**

**Now, as for why I was absent, **_**again**_**. Remember when I told you that I was sick for most of the November, along with recovering. Well, while my health recovered, my scores and academic progress took quite a hit, and I've not just fell behind my group in the college, but I bloody well managed to collect A LOT of debts in subjects that needed to be closed, if I were to be allowed for the exams. Took me this long to close it all and make sure that I could pass the exams in January without trouble.**

**There will be two more chapters next week, but I won't be making promises, because the last weeks of university are always hectic as hell because you need to get all your stuff in order, if you want to get a pass on your subjects. Sorry for a wait again.**

**Now, as for that idea I mentioned last I posted. It is now fully formulated and I may publish it earlier than I thought, but again, no promises. One thing I will say is that J.R.R Tolkien is a KING of Fantasy Lore making and world building. Honestly, reading LOTR and Sylmarilion Lore was like discovering for the first time Greek Myths for me.**

**Next time: Death Eaters strike; Message of a dying man; War comes to Albion's Hearth.**


	22. Chapter 22

**August 26****th****. St. Mungo's Hospital.**

White halls of the hospital were illuminated by the magically charged candles, as a small group rushed through them, just barely missing doctors and medical witches. The group was led by Henry Le Fay, with Andromeda, Ted and Regulus Black following just behind him, with Rose, Cassiopeia and Arcturus Black ending at the back. None of them had expected to find themselves moving through the halls of the hospital, especially not in such a late hour as this one, but once they had heard from Bellatrix that something had happened and that she was with Cornelia in hospital, all rushed here.

Eldest of the Black sisters didn't go into any details, but it was clear from the start that something had happened with either Cornelia or with her son. Their first thought was that Hastingstown was attacked, but that thought was quickly put dispelled, as Carissa had reported that there were no movements of any magical kind near the town. Her word was trusted, as she had neither the reason for lying, nor would she ever dare, being bound by a magical oath to Henry. That quickly had led them to the conclusion that the attack had happened not in Hastingstown, but outside of it, and most probably outside of Le Fay's territories.

Had any sort of an attack or trespassing taken place within the territories of Le Fay, Henry would've known about it within minutes of the event taking place. The security of the lands had been stepped up since the Ministry's Ball and dismantling of the Order of the Phoenix. A natural precaution, with the chaos and confusion running rampant, it would've been easy for someone to take an advantage of the situation and exploit in some way. Like, for an instance, stage a daring attack on House Le Fay or its allies, and had Henry not possessed such a large number of supporters among magical races, such sort of event might've ended up being successful.

With that being clear, another question arose from the realization that the attack took place outside of Le Fay lands: what were Cornelia and Bellatrix were doing in London? Andromeda and Ted both had stated that Cornelia had paid them several visits, after the death of Nym, to support them, while Bellatrix had practically taken residence with them, when she wasn't on her business. Aside from that, Cornelia hadn't left Hastingstown, not when she had a magically gifted little son, and that's not to mention that she was more of a homestay kind of a person. They had hoped to have their questions answered here and soon.

Within a few minutes, the group had found out where they could find them and went to them. Without any pretense, they've entered a room, finding Bellatrix and Cornelia standing near a bandaged and badly injured person, lying in bed unconscious. Mother and daughter looked unharmed, while the person on bed seemed like she had just went through hell, as the bandages were soaked in blood and her face seemed disfigured underneath them. The smell of burnt up flesh was clearly felt in the air and it took some effort for Rose not to puke. Turning the attention away from the person, Andromeda was the first to speak up.

"Bella, Cornelia, are you alright?" It was her first concern, as well as the concern of the rest of the group. "How is Justin? Was he hurt and where is…"

"We are fine, Andy, so you can breathe easy. Got away with just a few bruises." Bella simply stated to her. "And Justin's safe and sound in Hastingstown, with Faye and her kids. Forgotten to mention that little part to them, dear cousin?" Bella asked with a teasing tone.

"Your message sounded so urgent that it knocked the memory of it all, and I was with grandfather." Regulus simply defended himself. "Now, care to explain what exactly had happened and who is this? Is he the reason for whatever altercation that occurred?"

"Yes, and this not he, Regulus, it's her." Bellatrix stated in a grim voice, before turning her head to the person on the bed. "It's Narcissa." Everyone was shocked once they heard what Bellatrix just told them.

The group took a better look at the person, finding it hard to believe that the injured, half-dead, half-burnt piece of broken bones and meat, for there was no better way to call it, was Narcissa Malfoy nee Black. She looked like she had just come out of the pits of Hell and barely clung to her life. Her entire form was bloodied, blistered and covered in either injuries or burns, hidden by the bandages, even her face and head hidden behind it all. Not even her golden luscious hair had survived whatever had happened, though that was the last thing most of them cared about at the moment. The combined thoughts of the group centered around either was she going to make, or who was going to die for what they've done to Narcissa.

Cassiopeia was the first to snap out of the shock and immediately went to Narcissa's side, almost shoving Cornelia out of the way. Taking out her wand, she began to cast a diagnostic charm on her, while Cornelia spoke up to the rest of them.

"Remember when I asked Faye to sit with Justin for today? Well, I did it so that I and Mom could meet with Narcissa, since she had passed me a message that she wanted to meet me." Cornelia spoke up.

"How come you've become acquainted with her? No offence, but I sincerely doubt that she had any interest in any other Black relatives." Rose spoke up. "And if memory serves me right, you are still supposed to be dead to the rest of the world, so what gives?"

"She may've had no interest in affairs of House Black, but, as much as I wish to forget it myself, I am also of House Lestrange and an Heiress of it, or at least was an Heiress. And since House Lestrange and House Malfoy shared the same interests, like genocide of non-magical people, it was bound for me to become familiar with the Head of Malfoy family, and the matriarch of the family." Cornelia spoke up. "And Aunt Narcissa was close to me, and she had helped me disappear when I became pregnant with Justin. I couldn't have pulled off my death without her assistance, and I've had made sure that she took a Magical Oath to never reveal either my existence or where I was under any circumstances, lest I wish her to do so. After that, she and I maintained a limited contact and through that…"

"She decided to make contact with you for whatever reason." Arcturus spoke up, a calculating eye to him. "And why had she not come directly to us, if she had something important that needed to be told? Or why have you not informed us about this meeting beforehand, hm?"

"Because she wasn't sure if she could trust you, or that she wouldn't be found out by her husband or his friends." Cornelia answered. "As for the latter… She had helped me begin a new life, so I've respected her wish for all we spoke to remain confidential, at least until she knew that she would be safe from consequences because of her choice to remain with Death Eaters, instead of being with her true family."

"And you Bellatrix have not told us, because…" Arcturus asked of her, droning on, expecting an answer.

"She is my sister and as much as it may surprise you, Arcturus, but I do care about her and I've went along with her wish." Bellatrix responded, glancing back at her youngest sister. "Though now I wish we had warned you…"

"Multiple burns of high degree and varying, not to mention puncture wounds all over her body. It's like she was in the middle of an explosion, with glass nearby and its shards flying right into her." Ted responded. "What happened exactly?"

"Surprisingly, but exactly what you've just said, dear goodbrother." Bellatrix responded with bitter. "Cornelia asked me to accompany her to this meeting, explaining everything on the way. I agreed and we went to London to meet with Narcissa, in a café the name of which I fear I remember not. When we arrived, she was already waiting for us. She was scared, fidgeting, barely able to even sit still for a moment, it was clear that she either had something important to tell us, or that she had gone and angered Voldemort."

"Or could've done both at the same time. I remember him killing people for addressing him without a proper form, or on a whim." Regulus crossed his arms on his chest. "Did you manage to find out anything important, before this all happened?"

"Not much, only that Voldemort was scared of Prince Le Fay now, and that he had underestimated him greatly. She also said that he had gone on to make a deal with some Elf, someone called Malakeith or…" Cornelia tried to remember, before she was interrupted by Henry.

"Malekith, is that the name she mentioned?" Cornelia and Bellatrix nodded to him. "Oh, shit… This is bad."

"Not to sound like a fool, but who is this Elf fellow? A subject of yours?" Ted asked of Henry, who shook his head at this one.

"No, he is the Witch-King of Dark Elves, another race of Elves, only this one resides in their own hidden realm and have been waging wars with their cousin races for ages now." Henry explained. "Dark Elves are as treacherous as they are impetuous and dangerous, and Malekith is considered by both Eluna and Hirandyl to be the most dangerous Dark Elf to have ever lived. They are masters of Dark Arts of every kind, many of which were crafted by them to begin with, if what my grandmother told me as bedtime stories are to be believed."

"They are truthful, of that you can be sure, as well as the fact that Malekith is a danger just as great as is Voldemort, if not more." Arcturus added with knowledge. "The bastard had caused Magical Britain no end of trouble during the reign of Grindelwald, before betraying him and fleeing, with countless slaves, treasures and rivers of Wizards and Witches' blood flowing behind him. None had heard of him since, and if Voldemort had made a move to ally himself with him… He must have grown more desperate than we had expected. I wouldn't be surprised if he had realized that his Horcruxes are all gone, safe for one he keeps close to himself all the time. Still, Voldemort and Malekith… I wouldn't put past the Witch King to accept such an alliance, if only as a pretense to launch another invasion. You should mobilize all your subjects for this one, Henry, and quickly."

"I'll send the order right away myself. Plus warn Rias and Irene about the situation, maybe they'll be able to deal with the problem should it arise sooner than we can react." Rose suddenly spoke up and headed right towards the nearest floo portal without another word said after.

"She seems to have grown quite a bit of confidence since she became Lady Potter." Bellatrix noted out, before she returned to the topic at hand. "She mentioned Malekith, and that is where things had gone down south. As it turned out, she was tailed those that tailed her weren't all too pleased to see me. We were attacked by several of my former comrades, namely Crabbe and Goyle seniors, along with half a dozen of no-names that I cared not to remember. The two dimwits had actually gotten to their head to put up a barrier to prevent us escaping or reaching out for help, so we three were left to fend for ourselves."

"Thank Morgana Mom had been teaching me a bit of Black magic to defend myself, otherwise I would've been much worse." Cornelia said with a sigh. "Mom and I were doing rather well, all things considering, while Narcissa had tried to escape. Unfortunately, some idiot had sent and exploding charm into her and it impacted a gas tank in the kitchen. I've shielded myself and mom, but Aunt Narcissa…" She glanced at her barely living form once more. "It is a miracle that she had even survived."

"After that, I've showed them why messing with Black family was their last mistake and used _Fiendfyre_ on them, leaving nothing of them, and of the café and any evidences of the fight or magic. And before you ask, the café was pretty far off any populated areas of London, so the damage was contained." Bellatrix assured them. "After that we've rushed Narcissa here and called you here, along with someone who could shed some light on what our enemy may be doing at the moment."

"She is practically walking between life and death, even with all that the doctors have done." Cassiopeia had finished her examination of Narcissa. "I have the means of saving her, but only if you Henry will allow it." Cassiopeia looked at him questioningly.

"Why ask me all of a sudden? I hardly recall you ever needing my opinion on doing something, Cassiopeia?" Henry asked of her.

"Because I respect you, however shocking it may sound, and I also know that you hold reservations against her being in House of Black. Arcturus' opinion is well known to us, but he and I will agree to accept her, if you do so as well." Cassiopeia stated to him.

"Harry, I know that she had chosen to side with Lucius and her son, but she is still a Black and she risked her life by doing what she did. Please, if only for me…" Andromeda was about to plead him, before Henry said his word.

"Use the Stone and save her, Cassiopeia, but after that she'll be under constant survey and I give no promises regarding her husband and son." Henry simply stated without any stress, with Bellatrix and Andromeda looking relieved at his decision. "Now, who is this mystery man you wanted us to meet?"

"An old friend and someone I've finally managed to convince switch sides. He should be…" Before Bellatrix could finish, all of them heard an explosion outside of the room in the hall.

Without wasting any moments, Henry, along with Regulus, Ted and Bellatrix ran outside, prepared for a fight, only to stand stunned out of the sight in front of them. Rose was sending out stuns and exploding charms with a masterful ability with her bare hands, putting her newfound abilities and powers to good use. Her opponent was defending himself with _Protego_ charm, though he was clearly not winning. Before long, Rose had gathered enough power in her hands and sends a powerful magical wave at her opponent, sending him flying into the wall at the opposite end of the hall. As he had impacted the wall, stone had suddenly come to life around him and akin to tar had engulfed his limbs inside of itself, before once again turning solid. Walking confidently towards him and picking up his brown wand, Rose looked up at the man and spoke up.

"Give me one good reason to spare you, Death Eater?" Rose spoke with a voice as cold as it was resolute. "First you try and kill one of Black family, and now you decide to finish the job here? One would expect Voldemort to send more than one assailant, at least out of caution."

"Rose, while I do admire your ferocious loyalty to even our prodigal relatives, do please let go of our ally here." Bellatrix made her and the rest's presence known to Rose and her opponent, before she walked to her and looked up at her former comrade at arms. "I had expected you to come earlier, Evan." Rose let go of the man, letting him fall onto the cold floor.

"Last minute business had kept me busy." He spoke up, as he got up on his feet, seeing Ted and Regulus dealing with doctors and nurses because of the ruckus, while Henry made his way to him. "Ah, Prince Le Fay, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Evan Rosier, Head of Ancient and Most Noble House Rosier, at your service."

"And do tell what kind of services would I want to receive from a Death Eater and one of the members of Voldemort's inner circle?" Henry asked of Evan, crossing his arms on his chest. "Speak up, and be truthful, or I will be more than happy to leave you in the care of Lady Potter."

"Ah, and if young Lady is anything like her esteemed grandmother, I would be more than happy to truthful with you, if only to save my life." Evan spoke up, before his tone to serious one. "As you are well aware, Bellatrix and House of Black had been conducting talks with a certain defector from Death Eaters. Said defector is I and I have come here at her request and order, so an explanation of Voldemort's plans could be given to you."

"He speaks the truth, that's him I was expecting to come." Bellatrix vouched for Evan.

"Why would you all of a sudden turn on your Master, Lord Rosier?" Rose demanded to know, still not trusting him.

"It is not so sudden, Lady Potter, but one that had been coming for a long time now." Evan said to them all. "I am sure you are aware that my sister Isabella was a Lady Potter, having married your uncle and my good friend Michael Potter. Despite our differences in ideas and ideologies, I cherished my sister and her family, and thought Michael to be a very dear friend to me, so the deaths of Isabella, her husband, and their children at the hands of Severus Snape I could not forgive, nor would I forgive the man that had plotted their demise, that being your now rotting dead father, pardon the insult."

"None taken, for he was as rotten in life as his corpse would've been now, had it remained." Rose stated to him.

"Naturally, I had tried to have the head of Snape, but the slippery bastard held favor with Voldemort, so I was denied vengeance. I was forced to make peace with him in front of everyone, lest my wife and my sons suffered the same fate as my niece and nephew." Evan explained to them. "I may've said that I forgave him, but words are wind as they say. I never forgot nor forgiven, and after Voldemort had denied what was rightfully mine, I had made my mind to leave him and his group of sycophants, but I didn't want any part with Order and Dumbledore. I've seen my chance when you, Your Highness, had made your appearance, and I was further assured when you've done me a service and ended Snape's life. After James's demise, I was firmly on your side, and I swear so with my magic." Magic confirmed it all to them, as his oath was accepted.

"This all sound fine and dandy, Rosier, but what other proof can you give us that you really are with us, aside from your word?" Regulus asked of him with skepticism, having returned with Ted after settling the matters with the medical staff.

"Information about the bastard's plans, and of the fact that he still knows nothing about the attack upon Lady Narcissa and of more than a few dimwits missing from the land of the living." Evan stated to them. "That little attack was a scheme of her husband Lucius, who had suspected that she might not be with them anymore and wished to deal with her without drawing attention of Voldemort. Too bad he chose the dumbest pair of idiots and cannon fodder for the work."

"Rosier, you said something about his plans? Speak up." Henry demanded.

"Right, I believe you should know that while I was contemplating joining you or not, I was conducting talks with Cabals of the Dark Wizards and Witches in Europe. You may rest assured that those Cabals will not be joining his side any time soon, not after the work I've put to sabotage my own position before them." Rosier said with a hint of pride. "Naturally, Voldemort knows nothing of it, or I would be dead, but he will know soon enough and will kill me. That is, unless you finally end the bastard and his freakish existence for good today." Rosier saw the looks of surprise on their faces.

"What do you mean, today?" Ted asked of him.

"Your little dismantling of chicken Order has spurned him to take more drastic actions. Aside from making suicidal deals with Dark Elves, he has decided to take advantage of the confusion and chaos rampant in the country and retrieve our good old comrades out of Azkaban." Rosier explained to them. "He knows from the trusted sources that the defenses of that rock have been weakened, due to lack of Aurors guarding the prisoners, and that only a token force of them is stationed there, alongside hundreds of Dementors. And he has no problem controlling and commanding to do his bidding, as my dear friends Bellatrix and Regulus may recall."

"True, he had managed to somehow find a way to bind them to himself and command them." Bellatrix stated out loud. "Should he make even one step into the fortress, the Aurors will be slaughtered to the man and my "beloved" husband and all his friends will be set free."

"Which wouldn't be such good news for us all, unless someone, with quite a good deal of resources, influence and the biggest magical army on the islands were to make a stand against him there." Evan told them. "He'll strike tonight at midnight, with all of his cohorts being there with him, including his favorite pet snake with him. I would suggest you lay a trap for the bastard, lest he becomes a bigger threat than he is."

Henry and the other heard what Evan had to tell to them and knew that this was the perfect opportunity to finally put an end to Voldemort and Death Eaters. Bellatrix and Regulus were about to suggest to Henry to redeploy all resources to Azkaban, until they've finally heard him speak up.

"Do you expect of me to deploy all of my armies on that island and await his arrival, to give him a general battle and finally crush him right there and then?" Henry suddenly asked of them all.

"Well, that is what I had in mind. A finale to the reign of tyranny, as you might put it." Evan said to him, with Henry simply letting out a somewhat tired sigh. "I would've thought that you would relish an opportunity to finally destroy Voldemort and show to the entire world the might you possess."

"Flattery won't help you achieve anything with me, and I have no intentions of giving him any form of battle or fight, nor do I have an inclination to duel him." Henry said, shocking them all.

"Henry, do please explain what the hell are you saying?!" Ted asked of him in a shout. "After everything that bastard has done and everyone he had killed, you are going to simply let him walk away with all of it?!"

"Ted, calm down, and yes, Henry, what in the blazes are thinking about?!" Regulus practically roared at him, nearly deafening Henry.

"Regulus, Ted, do keep a volume down. We are in the hospital, after all." Henry chided them. "And do not misunderstand me. Just because I don't plan on giving any form of battle to Voldemort, doesn't mean that I've suddenly changed my mind about killing him and the rest of those Death Eaters. If anything I'm actually elated and relieved to find out that all of them, including that damn snake of his, will be in Azkaban. I've wanted that damn place destroyed for quite a while."

"Then, what's your plan, Prince Le Fay?" Bellatrix asked of him, with Henry letting out a chuckle.

"To let the Devil do all the dirty for me." Was all that Harry had told them, as a smile came upon his face.

* * *

**Azkaban Island. Night between August 26****th**** and August 27****th**

Many boats had finally made their landing upon the unwelcoming and barren rock that was Azkaban, with the leader of the landing party moving at a somewhat relaxed pace, as all of his followers were after him. Voldemort's gaze was firmly fixed upon the great fortress that stood ahead of him, towards the entrance of which he was heading, Nagini following him. The morale of his followers was at an all-time high, as all expected this to be an easy victory, yet one that shall lay the foundation of their true return in power. With all the locked up Death Eaters in there, not to mention an army of Dementors… Not even Ministry with all the forces that Prince Le Fay could provide to them would be able to contain his might.

And that's not to mention the success with the Dark Elves, even if it had come at great cost of promising Malekith one fourth of the entire magical population of England, should he help him. An outrageous and maddening price, yet the desperation and determination to see his enemies crushed had made this decision for Voldemort a little bit easier to accept. Of course, he had omitted to mention anything of this condition to his followers, lest they decide to not follow up on their master's will. They would, of course find out about it, when Voldemort would decide to hold his part of the deal with Malekith. Or he may to that time decide to not hold his word and destroy the pompous and arrogant bastard, and once more showcase his might and power to the entire world. He couldn't yet make up his mind on this matter, but that wasn't important for the moment.

What was important was finally freeing his compatriots out of the cells of this prison and claiming it's terrifying guards as his own. And once he has done so, this prison shall burn like a torch, blazing and showing to the entire magical world that Voldemort had return and he was taking what was his by right. He brought nearly all of his followers and servants, safe for Evan Rosier, who had suddenly come down with a bad case of fever, and Narcissa Malfoy, who had suddenly disappeared and nowhere to be found. Voldemort paid no mind to Rosier's condition, sensing no lies from him for he had been loyal to him despite all that had happened to him, and he could deal with Narcissa later, or have her husband and son deal with her at his command.

Once the retinue of Death Eaters and their Lord Voldemort had reached the massive gates of Azkaban, the heavy doors of the prison opened up and allowed them passage inside. It wasn't long until all Death Eaters had entered the keep's atrium, before the gates had suddenly shut themselves close behind them, with an extremely powerful barrier appearing on them. The Death Eaters took out their wands and had expected to find themselves facing an army of Aurors, and yet… There was no one to be found. In fact, the entire Azkaban was eerily quiet. Not sounds could be heard, neither from any prisoners, guards or Dementors. In fact, there wasn't even a single one Dementor, or a living being to be seen yet.

It was as if Azkaban was completely and utterly deserted.

"Milord, what is going on?" Nott Senior asked of his Lord. "_Homenum Revelio!_" He casted a revealing charm to see if anyone or anything was here.

Several of his compatriots have done the same, and from all of them a single wisp of light followed from their wands and flown towards the unlit front of the atrium. All Death Eaters and Voldemort had turned their attention there, and witnessed how a single figure stepped out of the shadows, dressed in blues and gold. A full coat of blue and golden embroidery, with white intricate dragons embroiled upon it as well, as Prince Le Fay had stepped into the light, shocking all those that laid their eyes upon him, including Voldemort. He was the first one to speak.

"Finally, I was starting to get worried that you might've been stuck in the traffic, though I have asked Madam Bones to clear it up, along with this entire establishment, for us all, gentlemen." Henry spoke in a surprisingly calm, collected, if not slightly mocking tone. "Do tell, how was your ride here? The waves were hopefully not too rough to your boats?"

"Prince Le Fay, is this some kind of poor attempt at jesting?!" One of the noble Death Eaters shouted out at him, with Henry answering.

"No that is me showing courtesy to you all, as befitting of the noble Prince." Henry simply answered, before turning his gaze upon Voldemort and speaking up. "Lord Voldemort, I must say, I have been looking forward to eventual reunion with some anticipation, though now I find myself positively wishing to put an end to our long altercation, so to speak."

"Prince Le Fay, you speak as if we had already met, and have been in conflict for some time. I fear either my memory fails me, or you jest and mock me, with the latter of which I cannot allow anyone to get away with." Voldemort said in a threatening manner. "Explain, what is this whole charade about?"

"Straight to the point. Why not, in fact, now that you mention it, these whole theatrics are quite unnecessary at this point, might as well just be plain and simple." Henry let out a sign. "This whole charade, as you've put it, is about me and you finally finishing what you have started a little less than 14 years ago, when you have failed to have me killed. Do you not recall: a powerfull Sorceress putting herself between you and a boy of six, her Patronus clashing with your Killing Curse and deflecting it back at you. Does that jog up your memory?"

Voldemort's eyes widened as his face had contorted in anger and rage, as he recalled the moment of his fall and defeat. A moment that was to be his triumph against fate itself became the instance of his defeat at the hands of Dorea Potter, a Witch who he believed he could destroy easily, and yet she overpowered _him_ and used his own curse to kill him. An ultimate insult upon his person, one that he would never forgive to now dead Witch. And then that boy, the eldest child of Potters that had later repeated his grandmother's feat in his fifth year.

Only after looking a bit more into Prince Le Fay's eyes, had Voldemort finally understood what he meant, as a scowl formed upon his face.

"Harry Potter." He suddenly mouthed, as shocked murmurs spread through his ranks. "I had thought the world was rid of you, when I heard that you have perished in the bowels of this very place."

"You may thank my grandmother for protecting me, until the chance came for me to leave this accursed place and finally put an end to you." Harry simply stated to him. "Ironically, it was actually your return to the land of the living that had allowed me to be freed from here. One could say that you've freed your own worst enemy."

"How very prideful of you to say so, and incredibly foolish of to have set this up. You are here, all alone, while I stand with my greatest companions and servants all prepared to fight and die for me. I can't help but laugh at the notion of you throwing your life away in such a suicidal battle." Voldemort laughed at Harry, who simply shook his head with a small smile. "Have you finally realized your inevitable doom, and decided to spare us the effort of destroying your armies and allies? If that is the case, I shall be merciful and actually grant you a swift and painless death, something you clearly do not deserve. _Avada Kedavra_!" He sent his favorite curse at Harry, already savoring the victory.

And when it had connected… Harry still stood perfectly still, unfazed and unmoved by what had just transpired. In bewilderment and shock, Voldemort stood for a few seconds, until he began to send a curse after curse at Harry, and all of them had the very same effect at as the one before, which was none at all. Harry allowed Voldemort to do as he wished and stood still, not even bothering with moving away, savoring in the looks of fear, surprise and utter disbelief at seeing the true Boy-Who-Lived still stand and live after what seen several dozen _Avada Kedavra _curse. Once Voldemort had stopped, Harry had flicked his right hand and disarmed Voldemort with no effort at all, paralyzing all that saw it and the Dark Lord himself. Once he done so, Harry finally spoke again.

"Like I've said to Bellatrix and Regulus, I have not come here to give you any decisive battles, or to duel you in a fight that would be as destructive as it would be glorious in the eyes of all that see it. No, I have come here to finally put an end to you, and all your pathetic excuses of Slytherin followers. I do thank you for gathering them all here, because I would hate to have to drag them all out of the holes like I do with Dumbledore's puppets right now." Harry simply stated to Voldemort. "I will be quite honest with you, Tom: I am dead tired of this entire nonsense and insanity that you and Dumbledore have begun. Dark Lord battles the Light Lord for the supremacy and all that, caring nothing for the lives that are caught in the middle. Moving your pieces in this game of chess liked Kings and not even thinking about simply doing what all expect of you- just duel one another and see who comes out on top."

"And what is this then? Your own checkmate to me?!" Voldemort snarled at Harry.

"No, this me flipped the board." Harry simply stated him, before turning his back and walking away from them, seemingly disappearing from the view.

And before anyone could cast a single charm or curse at where Harry was, all the torches and lights in the castle suddenly went down, plunging the group into the darkness. Immediately all had used _Lumos_ charm to light up the place, including Voldemort, who was fuming at what that brazen upstart boy had told him. But his rage and fury were not to remain for long, as in the next second, his everyone else's being was caught in the grasp of fear and utter agony.

The darkness that had surrounded them all suddenly enclosed around all Death Eaters and Voldemort with his pet snake. And then it began to literally swallow them, with cries of agony filled the empty fortress as the flesh, bones, magic and souls were being devoured by the void. There was no escape, no end and no salvation as the darkness hungrily took all of them inside of itself, and none were spared the horrible fate. The last remaining was none other than Voldemort, as he screamed in agony and felt the tendrils of evil enclose around his form and drag him into hell where he belonged. His last ever act as a living being was to call out the name of one he hated the most at the moment.

"_**HARRY POTTER!"**_And with this ended the life and reign of terror of Voldemort, doomed to be forgotten and never remembered in the future, along with all his goals and ideas.

* * *

**Some Distance away from the island.**

Harry Potter stood on top of a floating magical platform, a smile upon his face, as he saw the island of Azkaban, along with its fortress and everyone that was on it, be devoured by the monstrous and demonic power, known as The Embrace of Destruction. Truth be told, when he had told Irene of his plan and desire to see it all end, she seemed both disappointed, and positively enthusiastic at the same time, if that was possible. It is not every day that she is allowed to showcase her absolutely unholy powers. Her disappointment probably stemmed from the fact that the war wasn't allowed to be continued, or from the lack of a decisive battle, but she still stated that she would happy to do as he wished.

Clearing the Azkaban of Aurors was a trifle matter, a single call to Amelia and informing her of Harry's plan. She had protested at first, of course, but after thinking things through, she came around to what he had proposed, and agreed to give her blessing. The prisoners of Azkaban were either removed and placed in specially prepared establishments for their containment, if their crimes were of lesser severity, or dealt with by Irene, like all of Death Eaters remaining in there. As for Dementors, they were met with same fate as Death Eaters, which is to say was a mercy compared to what Voldemort and Death Eaters felt right now.

Harry felt no sorrow or sadness and putting so many to their deaths, even if some of them could be redeemed, as Dumbledore would've stated to him. He wasn't trying to be good or evil, nor was he seeking to be a chivalrous hero and slay the monster like in those tales of old. No, he simply decided to finally do what needed to be done: end this entire damn circus that was Dark Lord Voldemort and Death Eaters. He knew he had condemned many Noble Families to death, but he didn't care, nor was he going to grieve their deaths, since the moment they've decided to come in Azkaban was the moment they all had forfeited their last chance at salvation. Let the widows, sons and daughters weep for them all, if they remained, he will live on and finish what he had started with Dumbledore.

Giving one last gaze to the now empty spot upon the North Sea, Harry turned around to Irene and nodded to her. And just as Azkaban now and Voldemort, they were gone.

* * *

**Unknown place. Sometime later.**

"Your former apprentice and all his followers are no more. The Prince has done something that even you were unable to: rid the world of that snake and the disease it spread."

"Yes, yet he had done it so unsightly and without any effort. Had he truly were a powerful Wizard he claimed to be, he would've battled Tom and won, not cheated and let the Devil do all his work."

"Still, the efficiency at which he dealt with them all is nothing short of admirable. Perhaps I would be best allying with him instead of you, hm?"

"Our contract is sealed and will be upheld, you have sworn upon your own soul, Malekith."

"And I shall keep my word, Headmaster."

* * *

**My apologies for not giving you a chapter before the end of the previous year, but I hope that this one will be enough to quell any anger you have for me.**

**So, as you can see Harry had just done the most ingenious thing in his life and in one fell swoop… He destroyed Voldemort and Death Eaters. I bet none of you had expected such an underwhelming end, I most certainly didn't myself. I thought I would drone it all on, let battles take place, casualties to mount and then a climactic battle and all that… **

**But then I said: Fuck it all like the 8 Season of Game of Thrones, let's just end the fucker and all them bastards! And since I had a literal walking, talking and very gorgeous Devil around doing nothing, I've decided to put her to use (plus I was really struggling to find her use lately)**

**Anyway, as you may have guessed, we are entering our endgame of sorts, and I wish to thank you all who supported me with this story. You are truly wonderful people and I am glad to be able to give you something to enjoy during your pass time.**

**Also, on another note. My Naruto/Lord of the Rings story I spoke of is out, and I encourage all of you to check it out if you haven't already. Next chapters will be out soon, as I am now on a leave until the exams begin in the mid-January.**

**Leave a review, suggestion, question and more, as always.**

**Next time: Dark Elves strike; Witch King vs. The Dark Prince; Sacrifice…**

**See ya soon!**


	23. Chapter 23

**August 27****th****. Albion's Hearth. Several hours after the death of Voldemort and Death Eaters.**

After victories, comes a time when one wishes to celebrate and relax a little bit after the decisive confrontation. Henry was no different, as he wanted to relax and maybe open up a bottle to celebrate finally putting an end to Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He had avenged his grandparents, Charlus and Dorea Potter, not to mention had ended all of his following minions in one swift and decisive manner. He may've also completely eradicated or brought to the brink of extinction many Noble Houses, as a matter of affect, Harry didn't even care about it.

In fact, he was glad he had done so to a certain degree, as he had once more demonstrated the lengths to which House Le Fay will go to secure themselves and defeat their enemies. Amelia Bones may be mad at him for acting like he did, but even she couldn't argue with the results, and the results were most astounding. The Magical World may view the very act of what had happened as genocidal at first, but after all the gathered proof of these families and its members were up to was out, those that will try to paint House Le Fay in evil light will have to shut up. Now all that remained was to finally find Dumbledore and finish him off for good.

That was what Henry and the rest of his allies were going to get, but their plans were unfortunately foiled the very next morning.

The Dark Elves of Malekith had launched a full scale assault on lands of House Le Fay, besieging and attacking many prominent Noble Houses and locations, swiftly and viciously. Having been alerted of the impending attack, Henry's vassals had mobilized all of their forces and put them on high alert, expecting trouble to come their way sooner than later. A sizable contingent of all forces was also placed in Albion's Hearth, as it was obvious that Malekith would launch an attack against Henry Le Fay, so as to dismantle the command and destroy House Le Fay. However, after Irene had effectively destroyed Azkaban and Death Eaters, everyone had thought that not even Malekith would be as foolish as to launch a strike agaisnt House Le Fay, and yet he did in the morrow of the very day Voldemort died.

Henry, having confirmed information about the locations and forces attacking his land, had sent out orders and soldiers to deal with the enemies, along with sending Irene to deal with the most dangerous pockets of Dark Elves. He himself, along with Rose, Rias, Regulus, Arcturus, Cassiopeia, Bellatrix and Tonks family, were all in Albion's Hearth, awaiting the responses from the battlefields and Henry's vassals. The amount of the attacks had forced Harry to even send out some of the forces that guarded the very castle he was in to deal with the enemy. Fortunately enough, Cornelia with her son were with Regulus' family in Black Family Mansion in Kent, with the non-magical population unaware of the happening battles, as Dark Elves knew the consequences of revealing themselves through breaking the Statute of Secrecy.

As they were assembled in the meeting room, Regulus couldn't help but speak out.

"How the hell did those Elves manage to sneak into your territories undetected? Wouldn't all other Elven races, not to mention Elementals and your personal Devil, would easily sense a breach in the detection grid or something like that?" Regulus asked of Henry, but it was Rias that answered that question.

"Clearly you know little about the Dark Elves, or otherwise you wouldn't be asking such a question." Rias simply noted out, not caring for the glare that Regulus was giving her. "The Dark Elves magic is different from most magical arts and ways, and they are extremely careful about not revealing their secrets. What I do know is that they are most adapt in sneaking in, alone or with entire armies, places that are guarded better than Gringotts Bank. It was a common occurrence for Dark Elves to raid our lands like this in my time, but they were never bold or foolish enough as to launch such an attack, especially on so many locations. Something is not right in this one."

"Yeah, I can't help but agree with Rias on this one." Rose was with Rias on this one occasion. "This whole attack, right after Voldemort's death and Death Eaters gone… Dark Elves, if what I learned is true, are never ones to fulfill any wishes of the dead companions, so why would they stick to the deal they've signed with a dead man?"

"They may've signed up another deal, one that Voldemort may've known nothing about." Arcturus brought up another theory, with everyone looking at him with interest. "Not only Voldemort knew about Dark Elves and had employed them, but there was also Gellert Grindelwald. And even if he is imprisoned, that doesn't mean that someone very close to him could've had an access to Malekith." The look Arcturus gave to Cassiopeia and Henry said it all for the most in the room, though Ted and Andromeda seemed a bit oblivious about the things.

"You mean that some old supporter of Grindelwald has decided to take a stab at Henry and us like this?" Ted asked the questions, with Henry answering it.

"Yeah, and his name is Albus Dumbledore." Henry let out an irritated sigh. "Every time when I think that the old man is out of cards, he still manages to pull an ace out… Dumbledore wasn't always the hero he was once remembered as, and he had played a key part in the coming of Grindelwald to power, if what I've read in my great grandfather's journals is to be believed. He switched sides somewhere in the early 20th century and after defeating Gellert had made sure to cover everything up. Nobody knows when really did Dark Elves decide to help out Gellert Grindelwald, but I'll bet a galleon that it was still in the times when Dumbledore was on his side."

"Is there any way Ministry can help us out? Send a few Aurors or something like that?" Ted asked again, with Regulus shaking his head at that one.

"No, not with the way they are overloaded with work after the dismantling the Order, plus there are still those that have gone into a hiding. Even if Amelia was able to get us even a few Aurors, it wouldn't make much of a difference, not agaisnt the numbers that Malekith is throwing against Henry and his forces." Regulus stated, looking at Henry. "Still, even though we know that the Dark Elves are a dangerous foe and one not to be trifled with, something in this entire thing doesn't add up."

"What do you mean, Regulus?" Andromeda asked, with Bellatrix also curious to that as well.

"Attacking us all like that, striking at our vassals and allies, but not us directly, plus the attack in general." Rose voiced the thoughts of Regulus, with Henry, Arcturus, Rias and Cassiopeia beginning to see that there what they meant. "Strategically, such an attack, despite the element of surprise, is effectively a suicide, a waste of life with literally zero chances. I don't know what resources Malekith commands, but I highly doubt that it is even remotely comparable with what Henry can call upon. And let's not forget that we have a literal Devil on our side."

"When you put it like that…" Cassiopeia spoke, before her eyes widened, along with Henry and Rias also realizing something important. "The attack is a ruse."

"They've spread our forces and forced us to weaken the defenses of the castle, allowing for them to…" Before Rias could finish what she had to say, an entire castle shook violently and nearly forced everyone onto their knees.

The quake had been so violent and powerful that they thought for a second that it was some kind of a natural catastrophe, until both Henry and Rias stilled and paled at the same time. They've exchanged the looks with each other, silently confirming that they've felt the same very thing and nodded to each other, disappearing from the room the very next moment, followed by Rose. The trio appeared on the rooftop of one of the adjacent to castle towers, witnessing something they hadn't expected to see.

They saw a large group of Dark Elven sorcerers and sorceresses and a large group of human slaves, performing some kind of blood ritual. The sorceresses cut open throats of at least 30 slaves, probably captured wizards and witches, letting the blood flow, as the male sorcerers chanted in their own language. Henry, Rias and Rose didn't understand a word of what they were chanting, but one thing they did recognize was the fact that it was something they didn't want them completing, so they resolved to put a stop to whatever they were doing here.

Henry was the first to go, drawing up the powers of his own land and conjuring lighting in his very hands, before sending it at the intruders, striking at five sorcerers and sorceresses. The chanting was stopped after that attack, and the invaders turned to face off against the rulers of this castle and the land they were upon. Spells of dark nature and curses were hurled from the Dark Elves, only to be stopped by Rias' demonic magic, which literally devoured it all, before she focused her unleashed might and sent it at the Elves, claiming lives of nearly half the group. Rose's magic took form of fire, which she sent towards her targets, burning them and charring them up upon contact and explosion, while Henry continued to send his bolts of lightning.

The Dark Elves put up as much fight as they could, but were ultimately simply overpowered by the trio, and before any of them could escape, a hail of bullets and _Avada Kedavra _curses had put an end to that. A contingent of High Elves and the rest of the group arrived to help, but unfortunately they weren't able to prevent what the Dark Elves were doing here. The spilled blood formed into a magical circle with writings and rules, before a crimson red light shut out of it and was went into the skies. The brightness of that ray was more than enough to blind them all, before it had died down, and all could look up and widen their eyes.

Right there, where the pillar of bloody light had touched the skies, was now a large circular vortex, a gaping wound in the fabric of reality itself. It was slowly expanding, and the very skies around it turned crimson red. Harry and the others stared at it, realizing just what those Dark Elves were doing here.

"Dear God… Th-they've…" Even Henry was at a loss of words, when looking at the creation of the dark creatures.

"They've torn open the border between your world and mine." Irene's voice was like a crack of the lightning, as she materialized before everyone. "The blood of magically gifted people, coupled with the souls and lives of the Dark Elves you've just taken… This must have been Malekith's plan all along: to open a breach between my world and yours, letting Demons and Devils into this world. And if it isn't closed up right now and allowed to grow, it will be impossible to close it ever." Without hearing anyone speak up, Irene moved to the place where the bloody circle was and stood upon it.

With an inhuman roar, she slammed her staff in the middle of the circle and poured out her Demonic power. She had reconfigured the circle and once a crimson light had shut from it, reaching for the breach and grasping it. The moment it did so, the shifting vortex stopped expanding and seemingly stabilized and stopped expanding outwards. The group let out a sigh of relief, before noticing that the breach wasn't closing and simply remained as it were.

"Why isn't it closing?" Andromeda asked out loud.

"Because it's not something even Irene can deal with in a matter of seconds." Henry assumed before stepping closer to Irene, holding her staff and pouring out her power in the glowing circle, making sure that they wouldn't be heard. "Irene, how long will it take you to…"

"I don't know, this is not something I have ever dealt with, nor have any of your predecessors." Irene said to him with clear uncertainty in her voice. "I… I'll try and close the breach, but I need to be completely focuses upon it. If I am not, then the breach will expand and it will be all over for us all."

"Harry, the Dark Elves are appearing all over the place!" Rose pointed to the castle, with Henry and the rest, safe for Irene, coming to the edge of the roof to take a look.

It was now clear, that the attacks launched before were nothing more than a diversion, just as they've guessed. The real attack began now, as dark swirling portals opened up on the battlements, in courtyards and just everywhere, and from there came pale forms of Dark Elves, dressed in black clothes and armors. They surged out of a dozen portals, striking at the garrison and warriors, trying to overwhelm and break the defenses. But the defenders knew that this may happen, and even though the numbers of attackers were enough to intimidate at first, a quick fright gave way to discipline, anger and will. Jotanns, Werewolves, Dryads, Elementals and Elves of Sun and Night stood their ground and yielded none to the attackers.

A couple of the portals opened upon on the tower, and Dark Elves surged at the defenders, armed with swords, spears, magic and more. A scuffle followed immediately, as the High Elven guards began to fire bullets from their weapons or drew out their own swords and went at the enemy, while Wizards and Witches employed their magic. This was not a glorious and a chivalrous fight, not one that was the stuff of songs and tales.

No, it was a brutal, merciless and bloody slugfest, one in which Bellatrix, Arcturus and Regulus didn't shy away from the curses that would make _Avada Kedavra_ seem humane and merciful. Ted and Andromeda stood side by side, casting the Killing Curse and Disarming Charms, yet also stepping back so as to make up a distance away from the fight.

Cassiopeia and Rose joined their efforts in the fight, as the older Black Witch conjured a whip of demonic flame, Rose summoned gusts of wind to enlarge and empower the mighty spell. It had claimed a plentiful harvest, as did Rias and Henry, having forgone the casting of spells and curses, and focused completely on unleashing the devastating energies of magic. Furious, angry and determined, Prince and Princess Le Fay seemed like a force of very nature in this storm of madness, as the dark crimson waves of destruction went through the Dark Elves and into the portals, destroying the once that appeared first and after. The shortness of the fight didn't prevent it from being a brutal and gory, with lives of High Elven guards lost and with nearly all assailants killed.

As the group was finishing up the last of the invaders, none had noticed a quick portal opening up from behind Irene, with a Dark Elven assassin stepping out of there. He was practically savoring his victory over the mighty Devil, until he was disarmed of his long dagger by a spell. A quick glance revealed that it was Andromeda Tonks, having broken off from the fight, to have thrown that spell. Before she could get another one out, the assassin decided to make this witch pay for his failure, as he reached to one of his pouches and threw a knife at Andromeda. The witch was able to redirect it… But not the second one that followed right behind that one.

"ANDROMEDA!" Ted scream was more than enough to draw everyone's attention, to the scene where a curved and edgy blade had pierced Andromeda Tonks' skull and embedded itself in her brain.

A moment of silence was broken by the scream of a banshee, as Bellatrix unleashed all of her fury and rage upon the Dark Elf, sending at him such a powerful curse that it literally shattered him into dust. After it was done, however, there was nothing that could be done for the woman that now laid upon the cold floor of the tower. Bellatrix and Ted went to Andromeda's body, removing the knife, crying tears at the sight of her, with Rose averting her own teary eyes away, while Regulus, Arcturus and Cassiopeia had to steel themselves at the sight. Henry's face seemed gaunt and pale at the sight before him, and his mind race back to the moment where he had lost Nymphadora, his beloved. And now again, he had lost one more person most important to him: Andromeda, a woman that had become a mother to him…

"Henry, Henry!" Rias's voice came to him, shaking him out of the stupor and forcing him to get back into the reality. "Henry, I know how much she meant to you, and I am sorry, but we need to act now and you are the Prince Le Fay, so give orders and command us!" And like a charm, Harry's mind regained its coldness and he drew up a plan.

"We… We need to protect Irene at all costs, without her closing the damn breach, we will be fighting agaisnt not just Dark Elves, but also an endless horde of Demons and their Devil masters." Henry's voice reached out to everyone, drawing them away from their loss and grief. "Regulus, Arcturus, Cassiopeia- I want you three to go down to the laboratory and put up a bounded field around the castle. With it in place we can stop worrying about the portals. Bellatrix, Ted- take Andromeda's body out of her and place her somewhere away from the fight. Once done, help with the bounded field."

"I will stay here and protect my mother." Rias stated to him, with Henry agreeing to it. "You and Rose are to better go down into the throne room and connect with the throne. Through it, you'll be able to get us the reinforcements."

"Right, we'll send you help as soon as we can." Harry stated to her, with him and Rose disappearing from the rooftop.

* * *

**Throne Room.**

Brother and sister had appeared in the throne room immediately after they've teleported, and found it already overrun with Dark Elves, all of whom had prepared to fight the duo. As the enemies were setting their weapons upon them, and curses were being sent towards them, Harry and Rose hadn't stood idle and grabbed each other's hand, combining their powers and enhancing their might. The two unleashed a tidal wave of dark red energy, which swept through the assailants, disintegrating and completely removing them from the existence. Just as Irene and Rias had told them, the two of them together could very well take on Rias in a fight and win, and this show of power clearly pointed out to the validity of that claim.

As the room was finally cleared, the two let out a tired sigh, before Rose nodded to Harry and pointed him towards the throne. Harry knew that he had to hurry and sit upon it, if he were to be able to call upon the Le Fay magic and communicate with his vassals. Since the throne stood right on top of the source of Le Fay's magic, it served as a conduit for the ruler of Le Fay lands to use and spread his will throughout the lands he owned. It was also one of the most effective tools to convey his commands to his subjects. And right now he had to take his seat and call upon his vassals and allies.

Just as he and Rose were ascending the steps, they had heard a clapping sound, which grew louder and louder, as it was coming closer and closer to them. The two had stopped in their tracks, and both turned at the same time to see who it was, and at that moment both had to widen their eyes and stop themselves from rushing at the intruder. From the front gates and stepping boldly and seemingly without any care in the world stepped a tall and handsome man, dressed in red and golden colors. He had long wavy red hair, with striking blue eyes, which possessed a certain glitter and twinkle in them, one that the siblings were all too familiar with. On his shoulder sat a familiar looking phoenix, one that could only belong to one wizard that they knew. And in his hand was a wand, one made of Eldar and which reeked with death.

Both Rose and Harry immediately recognized the man before them and said his name at the same time.

"Dumbledore." The man flashed a smile to them, as the phoenix took off from his shoulder, as he spoke up.

"Yes, my dear students. I am glad that despite my reinvigorated appearance, you are able to see me as your good and dear Headmaster." Dumbledore spoke in a youthful voice, seemingly oblivious to all that was happening and what had happened before. "It truly warms my heart to see you at such a great pique of your abilities and power, despite the circumstances surrounding our reunion being less than pleasant."

"How… How the hell is he this young a-and… Harry, he is not just stronger than before, but his magic… It's the same as…" Rose spoke up, before Harry interrupted her.

"The same one as that of House Potter, _our _magic!" Harry growled out, with Dumbledore's face showing a glorified pleasure at the fact that they've sensed it. "You… You've somehow managed to _steal_ magic from James and William and made it your own?!"

"Ah, Harry, my dear boy, you disappoint me." Dumbledore clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "Do you really think that I would even care for those two weaklings with their miserable powers? Come now, you have always been a smart and clever boy, think about it some more. Who would I deem worthy of sharing his power with me?"

Henry's anger had to settle and give way to his calculating mind and open up all of his archives as to see, just how and from whom Dumbledore stole magic of House of Potter. Such magic could only ever be taken from a living member of House of Potter, one that possessed it, and he had to be a member of it and not exiled from it. Along with that, he would've had to take all of magic at once, and Henry knew only of a few rituals that could let him do so, and one particular ritual that allowed the thief to not just incorporate the magic of a different House and Bloodline, but to use it its fullest. The details were obscured over the ages, and the information Henry had was not complete, but what he knew pointed out that it required a soul of the stealer to transfer into the living breathing body of the one whose magic he was going to use. After the ritual, the dominating soul incorporated the magic, skills, memories and even the subjected soul into itself, basically becoming one with the victim.

And when Henry recalled it all, he finally had pieced it together, and his eyes widened out of shock. There was but one Potter of whom he could think of, the single member of his House that could've been used for this ritual and not thought of at first. It all came to Henry, as he spoke the name of the victim.

"Michael… You've used Michael Potter as a vessel for your soul." Henry growled out, as Rose's face contorted in shock and disbelief, while Dumbledore flashed him another smile. "Michael Potter was known as one of the strongest Wizards of his generation, leagues above James and the likes, and it was no secret that had he desired so, he could've even surpassed you in might and power. The product of both Potter and Black Bloodlines uniting and creating one of the strongest wizards, and you knew it full well."

"Yes, ever since he was but a young boy and a student at Hogwarts, Michael was showing the signs of greatness and power. In many ways, I saw both myself in him and later you, Harry. You would be surprised just how much you looked and even behaved as Michael. Had I not known, I would've thought him to be your real father." Dumbledore admitted him. "And much like you, my dear boy, I already viewed him even from then as a successor to me."

"Successor to your withering old body, more like!" Harry growled out in fury, with Dumbledore not even denying it.

"Well, it was done with the best of intentions in mind and heart. For the Greater Good." He said his signature excuse.

"But… But Michael Potter is dead, his body was buried in the crypts and…" Rose was finally coming out of the shock and tried to rationalize it all.

"His body was never found and his has no tomb of his own in the crypts. The last Potter that was buried there and has a tomb there is Gabriel Potter." Harry told her and himself. "You've planned it all for decades, probably ever since you saw just how powerful Michael was going to be. You couldn't stand it, the fact of you not being the strongest and most powerful wizard, with your damn body deteriorating and losing its might. That was the real reason why you ordered Snape to kill Isabella and their children, and that's why you took Michael. Had Charlus and Dorea knew…"

"Oh, and they were far too close to finding out the secret." Dumbledore had told him suddenly. "Dorea and Charlus both suspected that the death of their eldest was not as clear as it seemed, and though I know naught how they've figured it out, but they did learn that Michael was still alive. This was the reason why I've had James reveal their and your location to Tom." Harry's form shook from fury and anger, with only Rose seemingly keeping him away from pouncing on Dumbledore and striking him.

"Bastard… You've ruined my and Rose's lives, took lives of our grandparents, my love and everyone else… All because you couldn't finally _fucking _die?!" Henry's rage was in full display, with Albus not wavering.

"All swearing aside, you are essentially right, because for the prosperity of others and bright future for Britain, there must always be someone who knows what true Light is, and one who understands the Greater Good. And that for it is to thrive, all sacrifices are acceptable, and yours will also be needed." Dumbledore suddenly said to Harry, point his Elder Wand at him. "You may've disrupted my plans and preparations, Harry, but your value had also increased tremendously. I fear that I can't just allow you to remain as you, but I also can't simply be rid of you, for I would be letting go of the most powerful wizard since Gellert in his prime." Harry and Rose now understood why Dumbledore was here.

"You won't take his body like you did with Michael." Rose stated him, as she descended the steps and took a position between Albus and Harry, drawing upon her own power and magic. "Harry, get to the throne and summon the forces. I'll hold him off."

"Rose…"

"Go, NOW!" Rose literally commanded her brother to do what she told him.

Harry hesitated for a second, before agreeing and making a run for the throne, followed by him dodging stunners from Dumbledore. Rose didn't waste time and immediately erected her most powerful barrier between her and the throne, but she wasn't fast enough to stop Fawkes from slipping into it and going straight for Harry. He saw the bird coming towards him, and right before it could flash, he had use apparition to escape it, and he had reappeared outside of the barrier, as he wasn't able to manage the distance with better care.

The second he reappeared, Dumbledore had sent a stunner towards him, and the might of Elder Wand, blood of Michael Potter and power of Dumbledore combined were enough to knock out the partial Devil out. Rose's eyes widened at the sight, but instead of fear, it was anger and utter determination taking a grip over her.

As Fawkes was making his way to Harry through the collapsed barrier, it wasn't able to get away from dark crimson magical wave, which enclosed it and didn't let him go. Rose's eyes flashed with magic, as she saw her prey caught and took a look at Dumbledore, seeing a genuine concern and care for that pet. It would've surprised and made Rose feel pity for the man, had he not been the catalyst for nearly all catastrophes of their lives. Without any mercy or care, she forced the magical bubble to shrink, not allowing the bird to escape, as its cries filled the room. Deciding not to waste any time, Rose crushed the bird into nothingness, imploding the bubble and taking everything it had into nether existence, finally ridding Dumbledore of his most trusted companion.

"Fawkes… You damn little bitch, do you know what you have done?!" For the first time in many years, Dumbledore had finally showed his corrupted and true self, as he roared at Rose, who flashed him her triumphant smile. "I may not kill Harry, but I will take pleasure in making you suffer for taking Fawkes away from me, you damn spawn of Potters!" He unleashed his power upon Rose, with her answering in the earnest to him with her own might.

Rose had never been able to measure up and compare to her older brother, and even after escaping their hell, she still felt inferior to him. It was only after she had experienced the power of Morgana, did Rose had finally felt her own power surge and gain a massive boost. She felt invigorated, strengthened and empowered, and even though she was not in the league as her brother, she was none the less a force of reckoning and fear. She was able to finally combine the knowledge of Dark Arts, Curses and Black Magic, all acquired from her time and studying with Cassiopeia Black, with her new power. She may not hold a candle to Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore in terms of experience and knowledge, but she was more than enough of a threat in sheer power now.

Dumbledore had forgone his usual trifles and went straight for the curses and spells meant to maim and injure Rose, his rage in full display over losing not just his most loyal companion, but also a symbol of his and Gellert's past and happiness. Fawkes was their pet, the one whom they've found and raised together, and it had remained the last thing that reminded Dumbledore of the times together with his most loved one. To lose Fawkes… It was not something he was ever going to let go of or forget, and so he aimed to kill and destroy the girl that had taken away from him what he held most dear.

The magic clash, as hexes, curses and spells hit upon each other and wards put up by both Dumbledore and Rose. The fight had seemed equal for both for an outside view, and it was clear for the both of them, that unless something was to be done with it, they would be fighting for ages like this. Rose had tried to use her destructive magic to enclose and destroy Dumbledore, but his own spells protected him and dissipated her magical waves. His newly empowered body and a far greater pool of power and energy had allowed him to keep up with Rose with no problem, and as much as he liked this little exchange a of magical slugs, he grew bored of it.

Focusing it up his magic in the Elder Wand, he casted his most powerful _Stupefy _out of it, sending it towards Rose, who put up her most powerful defense. However, she had underestimated the vast power that Dumbledore now seemed to wield, as her _Protego_, empowered by her demonic magic, first cracked, and then fully crushed. She was sent flying onto the ground, hitting it hard and groaning from pain, but before she could move, ropes bound her limbs and body, sent from Dumbledore's wand. As he had incapacitated her, he once more pointed up his wand at her and smiled a malicious smile.

"I wish I could make you suffer, Rose, but I am on time table. I shall be merciful with you, as is befitting of Leader of Light. _Avada Kedavra_." The green light shot right out of his wand, moving right towards Rose.

Time seemed to slow down for the entire world, as the green light traveled towards the defeated form of Rose. There was fear in her eyes, despair and regret, but not surrender, anything but surrender. No, she wasn't going to give pleasure for Albus. Instead giving way to her panic, she drew her breath and closed her eyes, coming in terms with what neither Dumbledore nor Tom Riddle could: she made peace with life and death. She was ready to accept it and let her brother finish this fight. She knew that he would be broken, devastated and shattered, but he would have people around him, his family and loved ones to fill the hole left by her.

"Forgive me, Harry…" Were her last words…

…Until her ears caught the sound of the dark curse hitting her target, and her eyes opened. The next second, they've widened, as all she saw was a strong back of Harry, his hands stretched apart, his entire form standing as a barrier between her and Dumbledore.

A barrier that took the Killing Curse intended for Rose. Albus' eyes and face contorted in a show of shock and rage, as the seemingly indomitable form of Harry Potter fell down upon the floor, breathless.

Light had left his eyes, as they closed.

Harry Potter…

The Brother…

The Protector…

The Betrayed…

…Was gone.

* * *

**My deepest apologies for what I had done, and for my another long absence. My reasons are those that I've been forced to prepare for my exams and also completing them, and they had left me in a bit of an exhausted state, which I fear had affected this chapter. However, now that I have time, I plan on finally finishing it, and hopefully this very week.**

**Next time: Final goodbyes and final battle.**


	24. Epilogue

It was painless, just as everyone had said it would be, absolutely nothing to feel in the physical plan, but on spiritual it was completely different story. Nobody thought of that one, and to feel the soul being literally ripped out of the body and sent into a plane of a completely different existence… That is _no_ simple pain, but something completely else and unimaginably different and it was definitely _not _pleasing and beyond simple conventions of pain. That is what Harry had thought of first, when he suddenly felt his being still present, with all of his senses, feelings and bearings being connected to him.

He opened up his eyes, finding himself in a completely white and pure space, staring at what he considered to be one of the castle's passages. He blinked a couple of times, before rising up from the ground, if it was one, and taking a look of his surroundings. It all was white, pure and completely spotless, bland as well in his own opinion, and the passage seemed to go on forever. No paintings, no windows, yet everything is as bright and illuminates the place so well, that Henry can see himself clearly. He didn't understand what had happened to him, and was he dead or something had happened. There were far too many questions in his head, questions concerning Rose, Dumbledore, the castles and everyone else…

"I had hoped that you would never you would never find your way in here, Harry." A calm, caring and warm voice spoke to Harry, making him turn its source.

He didn't widen his eyes at the sight of her, though he wanted to weep and embrace her after all those years of separation. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her, and her voice was just as sweet and caring as he had always been for him. Harry looked at a tall, beautiful woman with long light brown hair, where grey was already setting in, and the warmest set of green eyes that looked at him with warmth and love. She was dressed in black and red robes, as she walked towards him with a sad smile on her face. Harry gave his own smile to her, before he finally spoke up.

"Hello, Mom." Harry addressed Dorea Potter, his grandmother and a woman that was his real mom. "It is good to see you."

"And I am happy to see you again, my son." She said with a sad smile, as she went on to hug him, with Harry returning the affection. "But as much as I am happy to see you again, I had hoped that this day wouldn't come."

"I know, and I hoped that I would win and see the happy ending for me and everyone, but it doesn't seem to be my destiny." Harry said with a sad chuckle, as he disconnected from Dorea. "Where are we exactly? Purgatory, or something like a sorting place for sinners and saints?"

"No, nothing of that sort." Dorea said to him. "You are not dead yet, Harry, not completely, nor are you alive."

"I don't understand what you mean." Harry said to her in a confused tone. "Dumbledore had hit me with _Avada Kedavra_, the killing curse that he sent towards Rose. It hit me and with it I am supposed to be dead."

"Yes, but Albus have never factored in the sacrifice I've made to protect you from Voldemort." She told him, with Harry looking at her questioningly. "I don't know what Dumbledore was planning, nor do I wish to know, but what I do know, is that they were in some ways right about a Boy-Who-Lived. Only that they weren't right in who that boy was."

"Who that boy… Voldemort had come after me that night?" Harry asked of her, with Dorea nodding to him. "But you've stopped him, you've managed to block and deflect his curse back at him."

"Yes, in the moment the curse hit him, it split his soul once more and one of them latched right on to you, trying to take over your body." Dorea stated him. "The possession would've gone through and you would've died and Voldemort would've lived, if I hadn't done what I did. I've made a magical pact: my life in exchange for my powers and soul to protect you for the rest of your life. The magic accepted it and I've became your guardian, one that destroyed the shard of Voldemort in you, and kept you alive in Azkaban. And now, after your sacrifice… That pact has come to an end."

"So, then that means this is… You are…" Harry understood what she meant by those words. "You will be with grandfather now in Heaven."

"Yes, I will be with him and my sons and grandchildren." Dorea admitted to Harry. "My life has reached its end at last, but yours, Harry, it's not as simple. Because of me being within you when Dumbledore used the curse, and because you sacrificing yourself to protect your sister, much like me in the past, the magic had seen it and seems to offer you a choice."

"A choice?" Harry asked of her. "What choice?"

"To go back to living or to move on from that life." Dorea told him, with Harry not believing him. "It is entirely up to you, my dear boy. You can go back to everyone, or you can have peace there, with me and all that await for us there."

"Everyone? Like Nym and grandpa and…" Harry was elated for a second there, but then he realized what it meant if he were to go down that path. "If I leave with you… It is all over for me, isn't it? There won't be coming back."

"Not once you've stepped through the line with me. After that, there is no way back for you in that world, not in any form, not even as a ghost." Dorea told Harry. "I can't tell you what to do in this situation, Harry, nor will I hold it against you if decide to move on. After all that has been… This is the choice you have to make."

Harry thought about what his grandmother had told him, and conflict had risen within him. To move on to be with all those that were lost and finally be at peace… No more schemes, planning, revenges and all that, he could had what he had always wanted to have: peace. He would be able to finally enjoy his freedom, without any pretense or purpose, just that, with no responsibilities, duties and all that he was forced to deal with in life, and yet…

It wasn't who he was: he wasn't someone to simply abandon all that he built and fought for, even if he was done for. He had a choice, and if he didn't, if he was simply allowed to move forward, then perhaps he would've considered his life to be fulfilled and over for good, but if he was allowed to go back. If he were back, then he would be forced to endure hardships and deal with his enemies, to fight his way to the happiness and peace. He had sacrificed much in his way to victory, lost his beloved Nym and a woman that became his second mother, and even if he was allowed to move on after his sacrifice, Harry knew that as much as he wanted, he couldn't move on.

No, he could and wouldn't, because despite all he had lost, he still had far more worth fighting for: Rose, Tracey, Cassiopeia, Regulus, Arcturus and everyone else. This war he and other have waged, it was finally coming to a close and he couldn't just live it there for the chance. He couldn't allow Dumbledore to have his victory, even if he had denied him the body he wanted. No, couldn't and wouldn't leave the war to others, not when he still was capable of ending it without others taking the reins. The end of an era of his suffering and Light vs. Dark was near and he will see it come. He will obtain his peace and happiness, but not in Heaven, but on Earth, having built it as Henry Le Fay.

The choice was made as soon as Harry remembered who he was now.

"Harry Potter… He would've probably went on to Heaven, knowing that he did all he could and would enjoy the well-earned rest and happiness with all that waited for him." Harry told his grandmother, before turning to her with a smile. "But I am not him, not anymore, Mom. I've been moving away from it all, and now, when there is a chance for me to live in a genuine, actual way, to have what I always wanted… I can't just let it all go, not with it, not when I _know _that I can end that whole war. I just… I am not ready to go there, not now, not yet. I am sorry, Mom, but…"

"I know, son." Dorea smiles to him warmly, as she embraces him again. "I know what you mean, Harry. We'll wait for you, and I'll tell Charlus about what a man you've become, despite all the hardships. You go on and live, live a life you deserve and be happy. Whether as a Potter, or Le Fay, it doesn't change the fact that I love you, and I will always wish for you to be happy, my dearest son."

"I love you too, Mom." Harry told her with complete sincerity, as a tear escaped his eye, when they've detached himself from her. "This is goodbye for us, isn't it?"

"No, not until we meet again, Harry." Dorea told him with warmth. "Take care of yourself, Harry, and tell Rose that I love her too and I am very proud of you two, and that I shall wait for you. Until then, be happy and live the lives you deserve."

With those words said, Dorea slowly turned around from Harry and walked away from Harry, moving towards one of the lights. It took what seemed like a few minutes for Dorea to completely disappear from the place, and as Harry saw her form finally transcend and leave the realm of mortality, he moved himself. He turned towards the other end and moved towards it, feeling the coldness of the place being replaced by the warmth of a summer and smell of his castle entering his nostrils. The closer to the light he walked, the more he felt his house and his world enveloping him.

He was returning.

* * *

**Albion's Hearth. A minute later.**

A single sigh, with his chest rising and falling, was all that signaled to Henry that he was truly back and as the air entered his nostrils and travelled into the lungs, his faculties regained complete function. He opened the eyes and saw the intricate and patterned ceiling of his throne room, as he lay on the cold floor of his castle, right where Dumbledore had struck him down. He heard a yelp and a hiss of pain, coming from his little sister, with any and all doubts of him being alive evaporating. Henry pushes his body off the floor and finally rises again up on his feet, looking upwards and seeing a sight that was utterly infuriating for him.

Dumbledore was holding up his wand at his sister, while his feet moved to kick her in the face. The invigorated bastard was looking utterly murderous and completely enveloped in his own satisfaction from getting revenge for being denied what he saw as his. Henry wasn't going to let him enjoy this, as he stepped towards his laying sister and Dumbledore, who prepared to cast as spell upon her.

"I hope you realize, Rose, just _what _you and your damned sibling's _love_ had cost me just now." Dumbledore practically hissed at her. "You've taken away from me my Fawkes, and now you've killed Harry, leaving me without the perfect body. And I will make you pay for it, and you will repay for my losses, and once I have what I want from you…" But Albus wasn't able to finish his rant, as he was grabbed by the hand and pushed to look right into Henry's murderous eyes.

Shock and fear came over Albus Dumbledore, and he didn't even notice how Prince Le Fay moved his left hand to the Elder Wand, before using his right fist to slug former Headmaster of Hogwarts in the face. The force of the punch was enough to send Albus Dumbledore tumbling down the steps and hit the cold and hard stone floor. Henry looked down on his form for a few seconds, before looking back at his sister, who stared at him with a look of shock and disbelief, but a single look from her brother had alleviated all the falsehoods in her head that it wasn't him. He helped Rose to get up with his right hand, while his left firmly held the Elder Wand, grabbed when Dumbledore had lost his footing.

"Go to the throne and call the reinforcements, you have my permission and order, sister." Henry granted his permission to Rose and let her go to his throne, while he turned back to face Dumbledore.

The rejuvenated Light Lord stared in disbelief at Henry, who walked down towards him, Elder Wand in his left hand. Recovering his bearings and thoughts, Dumbledore, who never truly believed before in miracles and had believed that the reason why Voldemort first fell was because of some ancient magic being used there to strike him down, believed that fate was actually on his side in this one. Noticing that the wand wasn't in his hand, he tried to use the wandless magic to get it back to him, but suddenly found himself unable to pull it back to him. He looked with fear and shock at Henry, who brought up the Elder Wand for a closer inspection.

"The great and infamous Elder Wand, one made by the very Death itself…" Without any more words to share or say, Henry broke the wand in two and threw the pieces at Dumbledore, who caught them.

"No, no no no no… What have you done?! Do you even realize you have just done, Harry?!" He screamed at him, as he hopelessly tried to reattach the two pieces back together. "This wand is the strongest wand in existence, and you've just… How could you do it to me?!"

"Easy, just like you've sent me to Azkaban." Henry replied, as he stood over the now kneeling Dumbledore. "It is over, Albus. You've lost. Even with the Dark Elves on your side, there is no winning for you, not today nor ever again. Once the barriers are turned on in full and bounded field is set, there won't be any escape or help for them. They will be slaughtered, but you don't care about it, really. As for you, there isn't any escape, not this time, only surrender or death."

"And what has brought this bout of mercy, huh? After all I had done to you and that girl of yours, you would actually let me have a chance of walking away?" Dumbledore asked of him in a sneering manner. "I am Albus Percival Wulfrick Brian Dumbledore, the greatest and most powerful Wizard that has ever existed. Without even the Elder Wand, I am still the Lord of Light and mightiest defender of it there is. You haven't won yet." He tried to use his magic on Harry again, but found himself unable to do so. "What?! H-how is this possible…"

"This is my home, Albus, the very heart of my kingdom and the place where I am at my mightiest and strongest. This is the center of all my power and magic in the land, the very same things that now do not let you cast any spell." Henry explained to him. "Elder Wand may've allowed you to cast your spells, but without it, you are as powerful as a Squib while I hold control over my lands and powers. And you think I am being merciful? Do you really think there is _any_ chance for you to escape justice and the punishment you deserve? After everything that was exposed about you, and what is known to me and others about you, do you _really_ hold onto a hope that there is an escape for you? No, there is no escape, only ending your war with dignity, or as a pitiful, worthless relic of a bygone era, that has haunted the Wizarding World for too long. I'm giving you a choice on how to die, Dumbledore, not a way out." Dumbledore realized that Henry was telling him the truth, and as much as he wished it, he couldn't deny it.

"If that's the case… Then I'll go out with dignity, as man I am now. Would do this for me, my boy?" Dumbledore asked of Henry in his usual, now fatherly way, with Henry nodding to him and putting his hand on Dumbledore's shoulder. "I know this may not meant much for you now, but I want you to know that I've always…"

"You right: your last words mean nothing for me, and people will know how you died." And without any further words, Henry swiftly grabbed Dumbledore by his chin and broke his neck with a loud crack, finally putting an end to his last enemy.

The lifeless body of the Light Lord hit the floor with a thud, before it slowly began to dissolve into black and oozing liquid, as it seeped out from all holes in Dumbledore's body. His flesh rotted away, blackening and festering out of existence like tainted object, before disappearing with the liquids. After it was all done, all that was left in the end was a large pool of dark ooze and a broken and decrepit skeleton of a man that had nearly destroyed Henry and Rose. She stepped closer to him and looked at what was left from Dumbledore, before speaking up.

"What… What has happened to him?" She asked of Henry.

"Who knows, probably an aftereffect from the ritual, or something else entirely?" Henry told to her. "Maybe he was so wrapped up in his own fantasies and lies that he had rotten from the inside out? Whatever the reason for this state of his body, there is no coming back for him, no Horcruxes or anything like that."

"How can you be so sure of it?" She asked in a tone that was filled with disbelief.

"Because he really surrendered to me, and he knew the price of a Horcrux on a person. You rip away not just your soul, but also a portion of your own being with magic. And this man had never would've shared his magic with anything or anyone, not like Voldemort. That and I saw it clearly in his mind." Henry said to Rose, turning to her. "It's over, Rose. We've won." He said to her, meaning more for himself as to confirm that it was really over.

Rose looked at him for a second, before smiling with tears coming out of her eyes. She moved towards him and embraced her brother, with Henry reaching out and embracing her on his own. She didn't say a thing, not wanting to know how, why or for what, she simply embraced the fact of him being alive and that they had just finished what they'd started. Henry didn't pressure or ask if she was curious, because he knew his sister simply embraced his return without questioning, knowing that he will tell her if she asks him. He simply embraced her as a brother, sharing in a relief and realization that this was the end of the war and a new beginning for them. He kissed the top of her head, as he spoke up.

"I saw grandma." He said with a quiet, small voice and a small smile. "She wanted me to tell you that she loves you and is very proud of you, sis. She's proud of us both."

"I'm glad." Rose replied truthfully and without reservation. "I hope she and grandpa are happy together in Heaven."

"I hope so to." Harry replied to her, before he and Rose saw Regulus and Bellatrix running into the hall.

"Henry, Rose, wh-why are you hugging each other like that and what's that?" Regulus asked of them, with Harry and Rose finally separating from each other.

"I… I just came back from the dead." Harry replied without holding back, with the two not really buying it. "And this… This all that is left of Dumbledore."

"Wait… That's Dumbledore? But why…" Regulus wanted to ask the question, before seeing a look in Henry's eyes. "You aren't kidding, are you?"

"No, he is not." Rose confirmed to Regulus instead of her brother. "It is over, Regulus. We've won."

"It really is… That explains why Dark Elves had suddenly up and teleported away. Malekith must've known that Dumbledore would lose and in case of that made sure his people wouldn't die once there was no cause for it." Regulus said to them, with Henry and Rose suddenly realizing that there were no sounds of magic or battle outside. "But… We still have a problem, Henry."

"What's that?" He asked, separating from Rose.

"Irene… She said that she needs to see you, and that it is essential if the portal is to be closed." Bellatrix told them, with Rose exchanging looks with Henry, before nodding to them.

* * *

In the next minute, the group used apparition to get back onto the roof, seeing Cassiopeia, Arcturus and Rias standing some distance away from Irene, as she held the portal from expanding and opening. Henry walked to them, before turning to Rias, who spoke to him in a concerned voice.

"She just told us not to come closer and to call for you. I-I don't know why, but she sounded… Henry, please, if there is something you can do to help her…" Rias' voice didn't hide away her fright and desperation at the fact that her mother was in possible danger.

"I will, do not worry about it." He simply told her, meaning what he said, as he moved past them and towards the glowing circle and Irene. "Irene, it's done. Dumbledore is dead and Dark Elves have fled the castle."

"I am happy for you, milord." She told him with a bit of strained voice. "I congratulate you upon the victory, and I am most sad that I can't share the feeling of victory and finality of your struggles."

"What do you mean?" Henry asked of her. "I know it must be hard, but you can close that thing, right?"

"I can, but I fear that I won't be able to enjoy the spoils of my labor." She told him, as she looked Henry in the eyes, who realized what she meant. "The portal can't be closed without a sacrifice, blood for blood, magic for magic. Without it, it will simply be left like a gaping wound over the House Le Fay. As a sworn servant of House Le Fay, I must inform you that… That I shall be doing what I must."

"I understand, Irene, and… And I thank you for everything you have done and your service to House Le Fay." Harry told her sincerely and with regret, making Irene smile. "If there is anything I can do for you before you…"

"Just… Take care of my daughter, milord. I know that it is foolish of me to ask you of it, but…" Irene saw him nodding to her confidently, saying that he will do it. "Thank you. And now, if you may, I wish to say goodbye to Rias."

"Of course." He told her, as he moved away and towards Rias, before speaking up to her. "She wants to speak with you, Rias."

"Wh-what did she tell you?" She asked of him, but saw that he won't reveal it, she simply nodded to him and walked towards her.

Henry and the rest of them looked towards mother and daughter, with Rose casting a charm to let the two speak up uninterrupted, as well as to let their words be shared only amongst themselves. None of them could hear what was said, but when they saw a look of shock and despair on Rias, all of them understood that it was probably their last conversation. They saw how Rias was screaming, pleading and begging her mother, but Irene didn't yield her position, simply looking at her daughter with a smile and tears in her eyes, saying something to her which stopped Rias from preventing her to do what she needed to do. The next second, and Rias was magically pushed towards Henry, who understood what it meant, as he caught Rias and didn't let her go, no matter how much she resisted him and tried to get out.

"LET ME GO! No, Mother! Please, I beg you! Please don't do it! Don't do it! Mother!" Rias cried out in anguish and despair, unable to stop her mother, with Henry hold her tight.

Irene shared one last look with her daughter, giving her the warmest smile in the world, and with tears in her eyes, she used her magic on herself and did what needed to be done. Her form dissolved in a flare of energy, as it all went towards portal, closing it and finally healing the wound upon the reality. In a matter of a minute, the circle had finally disappeared and the sky was back to normal, with an eerie silence in the world being all that was left in its wake. That silence was only broken by the cries of a grieving daughter, held firm in the arms of Henry, as he offered whatever small comfort he could to her, with others looking at crying Rias and Henry holding her. None were able to say anything or offer any reprieve to ease the pain of what had happened, as they all had lost dear people in this war that was now over.

The war between Light and Dark was finally coming to a close, and neither of those were victors, and those that were now had the time to grieve and remember those that they lost in this war.

* * *

**Five years later.**

Henry stood on the battlements of his castle, overlooking the lands that surrounded his castle, with a small smile on his face as he breathed in the fresh morning air, brought by a sea breeze. There was not an ounce of stress or tense in his body, not a thought about schemes and plotting in his bright head, not even a thought about anything of dark nature. All that occupied his head was peace and happiness, both of which he now had in spades and enjoyed immensely. Just some five years ago he wouldn't have dreamt of just waking up and walk out to meet the new day without any plan or expecting something bad to come his way.

He never knew a live without grand plan or purpose, before he had finally won the war, and now that he has, he enjoyed the peace with his family and friends. The really did come to an end after the death of Dumbledore was announced and his crimes revealed in the fullest to the public. Given the fact that it was already no secret just what the man was responsible for, the public was happy to be rid of the man, with Ministry now firmly in hands of Amelia Bones moving towards modernization and progress.

With both the Dark and Light families completely decimated by the wars and defeat, the Wizengamot was quickly taken over by the Neutral Houses, who opted for moderation, stability and steady development of the society. The progress of modernization and a more equal in rights society was not rushed or immediate, but steady and natural, with caution and care being prioritized over fast results. But even though it may still take years for all the reforms to become reality, the progress was already made and results were starting to show themselves, as even now Muggleborns in Hogwarts could enjoy a far better status and safety from prosecution from anyone.

After having fully searched and secured Hogwarts from any and all its secrets and mysteries, Henry had opted to lend it back to Ministry a year after he seized it as a place of teaching, though with a far more modernized teaching program and more student safe environment. The teaching stuff was completely new, made up for modern professionals and who had experience in teaching young students, with Horace Slughorn as Headmaster of Hogwarts, a position he combines with being a Potions Teacher. The previous staff of Hogwarts was either fired or sent to prison, given their ties to Order of Phoenix and Dumbledore, with scarce few getting to enjoy retirement outside the cell, like Aurora Sinistra.

As for the Order itself, in months that had followed after the death of Dumbledore, the last of its members were finally caught and trialed by Wizengamot and Judicial Commission from ICW, to ensure that the justice was not compromised by personal feelings or some form of corruption. The most eager and active supporters of Dumbledore, like Weasleys and many wizards and witches like theme, were tried and over several hundred witches and wizards were sent into newly constructed prisons, guarded by wizards instead of any magical creatures or beings. Those that cooperated or surrendered willingly were mostly spared, getting out with fines and a proverbial slap on the wrists, allowing them to remain free and safe.

Though a great deal of Light families was out and about, they've had enough of Dumbledore and endless strife with Dark Houses, so they've welcomed a period of peace and progress, supporting it. As for the Dark families themselves, after the deaths of Voldemort, Death Eaters and Dumbledore, they were left in such low numbers and with so few supporters, that there simply were no way for them to protest the changes. With Houses like Rockwood, Yaxsley, Malfoy and many more gone, the entire political block of pureblooded bigots had evaporated, with the remaining Dark Families being forced to move and conform to the moderates. Left with no choice, the Light and Dark families had to let go of their old beliefs in good and evil, and instead embrace the grey side of the world and modernization as necessity to survive. With any luck, this would go a long way to finally establishing a lasting peace within Great Britain.

As for Henry himself, he had grieved and mourned the losses in this war much like most of his family did, before coming to live a life of peace and quiet, ruling his domain and remaining a firm ally of Amelia Bones and her party in Ministry. After the war was done, he had time to focus on the internal matters of his domain, dealing with trouble in it and smoothing the edges between magical races and Noble Houses under his command. It had taken him some time, but he managed to firmly establish his rule and loyalty of all people under his command, while also presenting a look of a strong, clever and bright ruler, with strong connections and allies.

Henry didn't involve himself much in the internal dealings of Ministry, only stepping in when Amelia required some assistance, which wasn't often. As for his family and allies, Henry still maintained contact with those that were still around and alive. Regulus and his family had opted to return back to USA, to their usual lives and peace there, with Henry maintaining contact with him and Faye from time to time. Cassiopeia went on to actually teach at Hogwarts as Transfiguration Professor, having been offered the post by Horace himself, and agreeing to it, while also pursuing her own interests in dark arts and so on. She had managed to lift the curse from the post of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts, earning her praise and good reputation from the start.

Arcturus Black, due to his quite old age and stresses, had passed away two years after the war was over, dying in peace at the fact that most of the enemies of House Black were dead. He and Henry remained friends and companions in politics, and after the death of Arcturus, he had passed on the title of Lord Black to Henry, much to his own shock. As it turned out, Regulus wanted not to be Lord Black, and instead was more than happy to start up a Branch Family in America. He and Arcturus had long decided that Henry will see to House Black not disappearing and remaining the world, as well as prospering.

After the war was over, Bellatrix and Ted Tonks had both grieved over death of Andromeda and Nymphadora, both comforting each other, providing a trusting shoulder and helping hand to each other. It had taken them both several years to recover from the loss, but the two had managed to move with their lives, which, much to everyone's shock, they've decided to spend together. All thought that it was a spontaneous decision and not made in clear mind, but it was soon clear that Bella and Ted did care for each other and didn't have just grieve to bind them.

They wouldn't be able to forget about Andromeda, but they knew that she would want them both to be happy, and if it meant they were happiest together, and then they hopped that she would approve. Bella had long lost all her reservations about the muggles and Muggleborns, and given the fact that she lived in a muggle part of London, expecting her first with Ted child, it was safe to say that they were happy and content together.

As for Rose, after the war she had embraced her role as Lady Potter-Peverell, moving on to restore the House she was now running to the proper state. The years after the war had done wonders for her and she is now considered to be one of the most beautiful and intelligent witches of her generation and a prime target for all sorts of suitors. Rose, of course, knew of it, but simply ignored them all instead focusing on her life and making her way in the world, not interested in an early marriage like most of her peers at the time. She and Henry were still close, of course, though she had moved on to be more independent and self-reliant from her older brother, something that Henry had to come to terms with, but he didn't obstruct her from that. The two knew that they could always count on each other when the time comes, and if need be, they were always near each other for support.

And as for Henry himself, his life had most certainly become something out of a fairy tale to him, where all seem to end with a happy ending. He knew that his ending was a long way from coming, but it certainly felt like he was living one at the moment, and he couldn't help but embrace the peace and certain tranquility that it brought. With war over and allowing him to properly grieve the losses, he had managed to finally put away his life as Harry Potter completely and embraced Henry Le Fay without any trouble, along with his wives and family he was building now with them. It wasn't long after the war that the women in his life had wanted to solidify their relations and status with him, and Henry didn't object to it.

The first to become his official wife was Daphne Greengrass, with whom it was originally supposed to be just a marriage of convenience and mutual benefit, but it did grow into a union of care, trust and no small amount of affection. It took time and effort for the both, but now Henry and Daphne were just as much in love with each other as they've once hated each other in Hogwarts at one time. They didn't undermine each other and accepted who they were, and Daphne showed that while she was calculating, witty and clever, she could be caring, sensitive and loving towards her husband. Her parents and sister were happy for them both, and were eagerly expecting news about Daphne expecting a baby. She herself wasn't rushing Henry with it, but it was clear that the thought was a pleasing one for her, and for Henry, as she wanted to give him Heirs Slytherin and Greengrass.

Tracey didn't wait long after Daphne to marry Henry, and their marriage was just as happy as one could expect. Their love and devotion to each other had long blossomed and bloomed, and they were only too happy to embrace it in a marital way. Her and others' support was a great help to Henry when finally coming in terms with all that he lost and moving on with his life. Now he and Tracey enjoyed their lives, with the ebony goddess expecting their first child in a few months, with Henry and everyone else preparing to greet next Lord Prewett, as the title had been claimed years ago after the effective end of Weasleys by Henry without any trouble.

Alongside them, Henry, over the years, had found himself with two more women that became a part of his life and heart, with whom he wouldn't part in his life. The first one was, unexpectedly, Cornelia Lestrange, with whom Henry had begun to first become fully acquainted sometime after the war, providing her with protecting and help whenever she needed. It wasn't long though before Daphne and Tracey had figured out that their husband and the single mother from Hastingstown were starting to develop more fond feelings for each other. They didn't object to the union, and after a considerable period of courtship and coming in terms for Henry and Cornelia, and Bellatrix's blessing, the two married, making Cornelia Lady Black, while her son was now Lord Lestrange and a step son for Henry. Surprisingly, Henry proved to be a good father to the boy, much to delight of his mother, who was happy to have a supportive and loving husband, one that she was sure wasn't going to betray her.

And as for Lady Le Fay and arguably the most important Lady amongst them all, it turned out that none could fit the role better than the Lady that was born and raised in the House. His and Rias' relationship may've been tense and at times not as amicable as they wished, but they did work out their differences and work well together in the war time. After the war, with both of them having lost much in it and proving each other a needed emotional support and help, it didn't take long for both of them to discover that they weren't as opposed to joining their lines of House Le Fay into one. Only last year did they do so, and while most of the Wizarding World believed that it was done after a very long time of diplomacy between the two rivals, those that were close to the knew that it was done so only after Rias and Henry had fully consented to being in love for each other. In Rias, Henry found an equal in mind and power, as well as a person that could understand just as well as Tracey, if not even better.

Their marriage was affectionate and loving one, though the two liked to give off the impression to others that it was a necessary thing to happen. And while it was done so to make sure that House Le Fay was not to face civil war in the future, it was also a marriage out of love, just like the others, proven by the fact of Rias being the first of his wives to give birth to their child. Their daughter, bearing the name of her grandmothers, Irene Dorea Le Fay, was the jewel in their lives, one that Henry loved more than anything, weeping out of happiness when he first held her in his arms.

Henry's smile widened a little at the thoughts about his family and all that had transpired over the years. Thinking back to the time when he was in Azkaban, not even in the wildest dream did he expect himself to end up where he is now, and though the path here was not easy and without losses, he couldn't now imagine his life being different. Even if at times he missed Nym and Andromeda, he still had to admit to himself that right now, despite all the hardships that he faced, his life was good and he had earned it.

He breathed in a full chest of air, sensing the change in the air, with no ill omens coming with it. The sun rose, warming the lands and gifting Henry a sight to remember as it spread it's lights upon his lands.

It was going to be a good day for him and his family.

It was a good life, which he felt was only truly beginning for him.

* * *

**It took me a month, and even then I couldn't do it properly and in a justified way, but I needed to see this finished, if I was to move on. I only hope that you won't hold it against me for doing you a disservice with this epilogue, but… I simply was spent with this story, one that I had taken into directions I didn't expect and made mistakes with that cost it's quality, as I believe. I can only hope and try to see my new story, Argent Knight of Pendragon, be done in a proper and good way, and I very much hope you help me with it by your support and reviews.**

**But, as it stands, this story is now officially and finally over, with Henry Le Fay receiving his happy ending, and one that he deserved after all that had happened. I thank you all very much for your support and help with this story, and I do very much hope you continue to be the supportive readers you are in the future. Thank you all very much.**

**The End.**


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